Hell or high water
by RavenRiya
Summary: Piper Chapman is a CIA special agent on a mission to infiltrate a drug cartel through one of its best importers that being Alex Vause. The agency suspects that Kubra Balik is now involved in a terrorist organisation and their only way in is Piper. Follow Piper's journey as she falls in love with Alex Vause in the worst of circumstances.
1. Masters of war

Coming back to the States was an official transfer. If it had been up to her she would have never come back. But her last mission had been a success. As she walked into the New York field office it was evident in her colleagues faces. She was riding the high of catching the most wanted hacker of all time in Moscow. It had been an undercover operation. She had to live and make a life out in the Soviet nation then get in contact with the mark, make her fall in love and shoot her right in the head. It was upsetting, yes. But its what she did for a living, what she was best at, for what she was getting a medal of honour - here at the CIA field office along with a briefing of her next mission.

She went straight for her operation officer's corner office and opened the door with a slight knock. Everyone was already there waiting for her.

"Here she is. Women of the hour. Come in Chapman." Her Operation officer welcomed her warmly.

"Nice to see you too, Joe." Piper replied smiling. She hugged him briefly. "Director Rawlins, I didn't know you would be here." She addressed the director with a firm handshake.

"I was here on some official business and well, I thought it would be a pleasure to present you with the medal myself, Agent Chapman."

"Thank you, Director."

"If you could step over here." The director requested.

Piper stood next to the director. The office was packed with a handful of special agents and officers with admiration, respect and gratitude in their eyes.

"Special Agent, Piper Elizabeth Chapman, for your outstanding performance and sacrifices made in the field at a great personal risk, it is my honour to present you with the Distinguished Intelligence Medal." A gold plated medal in a velvet box was given to her. "Congratulations. Tell no one." Everyone laughed and applauded.

"Thank you, ma'm. It's an honour."

"No, Chapman you deserve this. Your work took a lot of big targets out of the game. I assume you're ready for your next mission."

"Yes, ma'm. I have a briefing today."

"Well, good work. Keep it up and you'll be sitting at my chair sooner than later." Piper smiled gratefully.

"I shall leave you two to it, then." The director nodded at Caputo and Chapman and left the office with the rest of her colleagues

Caputo took out his laptop and gestured her to follow him.

"The conference room? This case must be big then." Piper said walking with him through the hallway. They got into an elevator. Caputo pressed the button for underground conference room.

"It is a big case. FBI, DHS, DEA... everyone is on it. No one has a lead though. That is why you are here. This can make or break your career, Chapman." Caputo said. Piper was focused on the screen showing floor numbers. She said nothing.

"The director seemed very fond of you." Caputo said again. Piper chuckled.

"It's... she's grateful for my father, William Chapman. He saved her son's life. And they went to Harvard together so there's that."

"You're doing it again, Chapman. Discrediting yourself. You did a great job." Caputo said trying to sound supportive. Caputo was her mentor here at the agency. He always had her back.

The elevator stopped. They stepped out into the dimly lit covert operation section. A selected number of agents, analysts and programmers were waiting for them in the conference room.

"Let's just get this done." Piper said smiling at Caputo.

Piper took her seat beside Caputo at the head of the table. As they turned on the projectors, her co-workers (whose faces she had not seen in a year) congratulated her. Larry Bloom stood up and started the presentation.

"Kubra Balik. Born and raised in the States is the most wanted drug kingpin on DEA's list. He operates internationally and is known to be a violent employer."

"What put him under our radar?" Piper asked.

"We have been monitoring him very closely for the past year. And we have evidence that his focus has shifted from Heroine to illegal weaponry, bombs and terorism in Europe." Larry finished. Caputo picked up after that.

"He is a man seeking power. We interrogated some Afghani locals back in Afghanistan and they said people associated with his cartel has been selling guns and bombs that blew up our army. Somehow, he also gained access to surveillance equipment in the Air Force. We were able to bring it down before he could do any serious damage. He has proven to be a constant threat." Caputo said and stood up pointing at a blurry picture of a bald man. "This is the only picture we have of him."

"So, how do we get to him?" Piper asked, getting excited. Everyone looked lost.

"Well," Caputo sighed. "It's near impossible getting close to him without earning his trust. He is a paranoid man. It is clear that he operates on two fronts. Drugs and terorism. While he is focused on exporting bombs, his drug empire is his weakest side. We are thinking of infiltrating from there. It's the easiest way to get close to him without raising any suspicions. It keeps DEA and FBI off our backs as well if we keep feeding them enough intel about his drug ring"

"What's the catch?"

Caputo changed the slide to a woman's photograph. The photograph showed her in a cafe with a book in hand, sipping her coffee, black rimmed glasses perched on top of her nose. She looked so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice her photo getting clicked. Although Piper wouldn't admit it, she would have really found her attractive if they had met under ordinary circumstances.

"Wow. She's hot." Larry Bloom voiced her thoughts.

"Shut it, Bloom." Caputo scolded. "So, this is Alex Vause. Born and raised in the states. She is our getaway into the cartel. Vause is one of Kubra's personal favourites. She had been working for him since she was 19. She is a smuggler and recruiter. She is second in command in the cartel along with Fahri, who is her recruiter. She's known to living in New York right now. This picture was taken 4 days ago. Our agents also confirmed her visit in one too many bars which means she is looking for drug mules. Alex Vause is your primary target."

"I suppose I am going undercover once again. What's the story?"

"We haven't figured that out yet." Another agent spoke up. "We have been monitoring Vause and in all her time she hadn't stayed this long in one place. She is all over the map. She has an apartment in Manhattan. We have been listening in for any calls from Balik but it seems like they communicate through encrypted mails. Her tracks are almost untraceable."

"I am sorry but what's your name again?" Piper asked politely.

"Poussey. Poussey Washington. I am a tech specialist. I am a fan of your work though." the agent replied. Piper nodded in acknowledgement.

"I should probably introduce you to the team." Caputo said. "Okay, so we have Larry Bloom - analyst. Agent Carlin for backup field support. Agent Washington and agent Benett for tech support. Mrs. Figueroa from legal." Everyone responded to their names by a firm head nod towards Piper. "And team, this is infamous Agent Chapman."

"Its a pleasure working with you all." Piper said.

"Pleasure is all ours." Larry chipped in with a creepy smile then retreated when Caputo glared at him.

"Let's get to work. We have to plant Piper Chapman in Alex Vause's life in less than two days." Caputo commanded.

After eight hours of constant brainstorming of ideas, yelling opinions and risk calculations later, they had outlined a story. To sell the story to someone as experienced as Alex, they kept the story genuine. Piper was going to be just Piper Chapman. From all the intelligence that they had gathered previously, they easily figured out Alex's preferred type.Young, Naive, Sad, Old money girls who have no previous record of crime but are fed up with their families and are looking for a rebellion against their parent's carefully constructed social image.

Piper Chapman is a 25 year old Smith's grad currently working as a waitress and an aspiring writer. She has a degree in English Literature. Her fiancé Larry Bloom just broke up with her after 3 year long relationship. She is now looking for a new job. She is supposed to be very WASPy and naive. She does not have many friends but her father keeps her accounts filled. They build her social media profiles and hacked into the mainframe to make the posts a year or two old. It was all set to be the perfect bait for Alex.

Alex is someone who can easily read people. Piper has to keep certain level of general admiration to get in her good graces. And that wasn't hard at all. Alex had an aura about her which made her sexy and appealing and Piper wasn't blind to it. It certainly made her job easy.

Undercover operations are never predictable but the agency always tries to exert as much control as possible. Piper will be out of any contact for a little while. So, they had to make sure everything goes just as planned. Although the spy work wasn't as cool as they show in movies, it was interesting nonetheless.

Piper was given a very ordinary looking iphone with a hidden switch which turned it into a CIA encrypted phone impossible to hack, track or monitor. A gun which can be mantled-dismantled in less than 5 secs, pens which can record videos, eyeliners with paralysing injections.

Piper left for her new old designated apartment in Brooklyn with a suitcase in tow. There was nothing connecting her to the agency except maybe her skills of observation.

That night Piper laid back in her couch with a glass of wine in her hand and macbook on her lap trying to find out more about the enigmatic Alex Vause. Nothing came up at first, of course. It would take more than insta stalking to find Alex online. After digging a little bit more (with the help of a facial recognition software), she found her. Not much, but there were a couple of pictures of Alex spread throughout profiles of rich, young girls. She seemed annoyed in most of them but sexy nonetheless. A little more research showed that those profiles were abandoned not long after posting the pictures. So, this Alex person may not like social media that much. Piper could not help but compare herself to those girls. She fell asleep drunk, looking at one picture which showed that sexy rose tattoo on Alex's arm. And things just got a little bit more interesting.


	2. Flowers in your hair

1

Piper wore casual floral top and jeans. She left her hair down thinking it made her look younger. She printed out her fake resume in hopes that at some point Alex will pick it up and read it. Alex's location was sent to her on her encrypted device. She took a cab to the bar in downtown New York. She entered the bar with a heavy sigh. Here it goes.

The bar was buzzing with slight rock music in the background. Piper easily found Alex, there at the centre of attention with her friends. Alex's voice was immediately distinguishable. The hoarse undertone and confident demeanor was sexy as hell and Piper was not ready for that.

Piper beelined for the counter trying not to get caught staring. But there it was, the same voice saying -

"Hey you, Laura Ingalls Wilder." Piper turned around and Alex was looking at her. "We are skipping America before the apocalypse wanna come?"

"Sorry?" Piper said, cluelessly.

"What can I get for ya?" The bartender asked suddenly. Piper turned around to the counter. She has to play her part.

"Oh, hey, hi.." Piper said. "I was wondering if you were hiring." She held out her resume.

"No, sorry."

"Can I leave this with you?"

"Honestly, its gonna end up in a drawer somewhere, so..."

"Its okay. Well ..." Piper halted. She needs to attract Alex somehow. "Can I have a Margarita then?"

"That I can do for you."

The moment she placed her order, Piper could feel Alex approaching. Piper sat down on a bar stool. And Alex walked up to her.

"It's a little cold out for margaritas don't you think?" Alex said casually. Piper was so taken aback by her downright sexiness that she couldn't look away or function normally. She blinked and her brain caught that Alex was reading her resume.

"...you need a lesson in forging a resume?" Alex chuckled.

"Do you work here?" Piper stupidly asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Alex went on to reading it, looking at her so admiringly. "...you've never waited a fucking table in your life, have you?"

"No." Piper smiled.

"So, Piper Chapman." Alex joked about her resume and Piper snatched it out of her hand embarrassingly.

"Who are you?" Piper finally asked.

"My name is Alex." Alex answered honestly.

"And what do you do Alex? Besides making fun of strangers in bars?" Piper asked in a voice she thought sounded sexy.

"I work for an international drug cartel." Alex deadpanned. Piper was caught off guard. She was expecting a lie but no Alex gave her the truth right away.

Alex laughed then. Her head tilted back. All rich and husky. And Piper wanted it to never stop.

2

Having sex with Alex was whole another story. Piper was in a trance as she followed Alex to her lavish apartment. Piper had never had such a generous lover (even if fake) as Alex. She couldn't get over it. The way Alex's hands were everywhere, touching places that she never knew existed. The scent, the kisses and that ridiculous smirk on her face after Piper's third orgasm that night.

When Alex finally laid down next to her, they both couldn't stop smiling.

"It was terrible, wasn't it?" Alex finally asked, grinning.

"Yeah. So bad. You're really bad at it." Piper replied smugly. Alex laughed and kissed her again. Piper hungrily kissed back. They just couldn't get enough of themselves.

Alex's phone rang and Piper was suddenly reminded of her duties. Alex groaned getting out of bed.

"What time is it in Amsterdam?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Piper replied.

Alex left to get her phone from the living room. Piper scrambled up, trying to find her phone. She took out the little bug from under her phone cover and placed it on the inside of her bedside lamp. She activated it through her phone. It should be able to record every conversation in this bedroom. Once it was done Piper breathed out in relief that Alex hadn't come back yet.

But suddenly a shadow emerged from the hallway and launched herself on Piper. Holy fuck. Piper panicked and her training kicked in. She rolled out of bed with the hooded woman on top of her and fell on the floor. When the woman tried to punch her, Piper saw it coming and grabbed her wrist. She twisted her wrist and in a blink of an eye the woman was in a headlock struggling to breathe.

"Piper, what the fuck!" Alex shouted.

"Who is this? She broke in and tried to punch me?" Piper shouted back, not releasing the headlock.

"She's my ex-girlfriend. Can you please release her? Looks like she can't breath!"

Piper released her. The woman crawled away in fear, coughing violently.

"Sylvia, are you okay?" Alex asked.

"Who the fuck is that? And I am your fucking girlfriend." Sylvia cried out.

"Girlfriend?" Piper was on her feet. I need to get out of here. What if she saw me?

"It's complicated." Alex said with uncertainty.

"Well, fuck you!" Piper grabbed her belongings as fast as she could.

"Piper, I can explain."

"Go fuck yourself, Alex!" Piper pushes the door close and ran down the stairs. Thanks to her training, she was fully clothed when she got out of the building. She took out her phone and dialed immediately.

"Hey, Carlin, I need you to keep an eye on this girl called Sylvia. She's supposedly Alex's girlfriend? She showed up out of nowhere and she may have seen me putting in the bug. Also tell Washington that the big is in."

"Roger that." Carlin answered and hung up.

Piper went home as fast as she could. She turned on her laptop and tuned in on the audio receiver at Alex's apartment. She fell asleep listening to it. Turned out Sylvia hadn't seen a thing. It was just a usual bickering between her and Alex. Alex firmly telling her to get the fuck out and never come back.

3

The doorbell rang at 5:50 am. Piper was awake and getting ready for her usual run. Nobody was supposed to come at such an unusual time. Her neighbor, a nurse, was working a night shift. Piper took her extra service gun and carefully tiptoed to the front door. She peeped through the peep hole. There was no one. She opened the door hesitantly. A burning smell. What the fuck?

A burning paper bag was right in front of door. She heard someone running up the staircase. She pointed her gun towards the sound.

"Chapman, it's me." Agent Carlin called out. "Don't shoot."

"Yeah. Okay." Piper dropped the gun.

"Is everything alright? I just saw that Sylvia exiting through the hack door."

"She left this." Piper pointed towards the paper bag. Stella instinctively stepped on it to put out the fire.

"Fuck!" Stella cried. "What the fuck is this?" Her one leg up in the air.

"It's a classic. Shit in a bag. Didn't think you would fall for it." Piper laughed and went inside to fetch some water.

"No. But this is serious. How did she find you?"

"I think she followed me."

"Is she gonna be a problem?"

"I don't think so. But she really does makes things interesting."


	3. Mystery Of Love

1

Step two was fortunately easier than one. Piper just had to get close to Alex in a completely non-suspicious way and wait for Alex to come to her. Easy right? Five days after the first contact, Alex was again at the same bar with her group of friends. Piper casually walked up to the bar and ordered a beer.

She could sense Alex looking at her. She gathered a little courage and turned to catch Alex staring at her. Piper had worn a classy black halter neck dress with bare shoulders. It was proving to the right choice. She raised an eyebrow.

Alex smirked and walked towards her in slow, deliberate steps. She halted right in front of her.

"You look amazing, kid." Alex commented in slightly breathless voice.

"Your girlfriend think so too?" Piper quirked an eyebrow

"Jesus Christ. She's- she is not my girlfriend. I broke up like months ago."

"Is that so, Alex?" Piper took a swig of her beer.

"She did something, didn't she?" Alex asked apologetically.

"Tried to punch me. Followed me home. Put a bag of burning shit right in front of my door."

"Bag of burning shit!? Fuck!" Alex burst out laughing. Piper felt blessed to hear that sound of laughter. So she laughed along. They stopped when they both were out of breath. Piper could feel her cheeks reddening but she couldn't figure out whether it was because of the laughter or just the sheer presence of Alex.

Alex cleared her throat and stepped even closer. Piper's breath hitched.

"Look, Piper, I really like you. Like I really want to spend more time with you. If you want that too then maybe we could start something incredible. Here. Now."

"I would...I would really like that. Alex." Piper gasped as Alex pulled her closer. Their faces so close. Lips hesitant at first but then kissing with practiced symphony. And everything else just became a background.

2

At first it felt like they were both hiding things, holding back. Piper waited for Alex to open up. Relationships, even fake ones, needed time to build up trust and mutual understanding. Even though the lack of information bothered Piper, she didn't try to fill the silence. She waited. And it turned out to be the right decision.

Three weeks into their so called relationship, after a steamy love making session, they both are just there and they know it is time. A shy smile on Alex's lips. They are facing each other. Head buried in pillows in Alex's bed. Alex releases a sigh.

"Pipes..." Alex whispered. Pipes, that's what's Alex calls her. It feels personal. More intimate than any other nickname. She is just Pipes with Alex. Hers.

"Yeah, Al..." Piper tucked a strand of raven hair behind Alex's ear.

"My mother calls me that, you know." Alex said fondly.

"She does?" Piper smiled.

"Yeah." Alex smiled. "I love her, you know. She's incredible."

Piper collects these moments. So raw and honest. It's not an information that she'll share with the agency. It's an information that makes Alex more human, approachable, less of a target in Piper's mind. Alex is looking at her expectantly now. She is seeking approval. And Piper will give her that.

"She must be." Piper said. "I can only imagine. She raised someone like you. So beautiful, brave and strong." Piper punctuates it with a kiss on Alex's lips. Alex looks away.

"She doesn't know about this. This cartel business." Piper can sense the wetness in her voice even though Alex's eyes are upward now. Piper's hand finds her hands and she makes soothing circles with her thumb.

"She thinks I am an art dealer." Alex tries to laugh but it stops somewhere in her throat. "Do you think she'll forgive me for lying?"

Alex sounds so small that Piper has a sudden urge to kiss her worries away, to hold her and never let go. Alex is seeking reassurance. And Piper will give her that.

"Let's see, she would be mad. She would want answers. And she would probably slap your beautiful stupid face." Piper smiled. "But she'll forgive you. Because you're good, Alex. because she loves you. And she would always like to be a part of your life no matter what you do as long as you're good at your heart." Piper kisses her again. Alex chuckles.

"Thank you, Pipes" Alex said. "That was very cheesy."

"Shut up. You love cheesy."

"Yeah, I do."

That morning something changed between them. They were more at ease. Alex seemed more comfortable. And Piper was proud of being a good girlfriend. And when it was time, Alex walked her back to her apartment. In that walk back, they exchanged apartment keys. Kisses and promises. Piper wished, really wished that Alex would take her with her this time. She didn't.

3

Five weeks in the relationship and they find out that Alex's visits to the city are more frequent. She's here almost every weekend. With Piper. And Piper feels special knowing that. Alex can't tolerate the distance between them and neither can she.

Piper has doubts. She knows she is falling for her target. She shouldn't. It's unprofessional and risky. This could jeopardize the whole mission but any resistance to Alex's charm and all the attention is in vain.

The only thing keeping her at bay is the idea that Alex might be faking it too. Maybe this is what she does with all of her mules. Maybe this is an intricately designed trap for drug mules. But Piper knows, somewhere deep in her heart, everything between them is real. At least on Alex's side.

4

"You never talk about your parents." Alex asks, her hands deep in Piper's hair.

"There's nothing to talk about." Piper answers. Her eyes on the old battered copy of Wuthering Heights. Not reading.

They are in Piper's apartment. In her bed. Alex had arrived an hour ago with chinese takeout and a music tape. She is taking Piper to a party at some colleagues place. A success party. Alex wouldn't tell her anymore. This is the beginning of Piper's involvement. Piper wants to be a part of that life and she knows Alex wants it too.

Alex doesn't ask any further. Piper knows she needs to answer this. She can't dodge every question. She could lie, yes. But some part of her doesn't want to. She wants to be just as honest as Alex. She wants to open up just as much as Alex has.

"Well... my mother - she doesn't exactly approve of my lifestyle. The way I live. The people I love. She hates it. She wishes I could be more like her. Married to a man who would take care of me, you know that kinda stuff." Piper's voice is low and hesitant. Alex's eyes are soft and reassuring, telling her to go on. "And my dad, well, he is a neurosurgeon. He wanted me to be a doctor too. Like my brother Danny. I was a really good student. Finished high school earlier than most kids my age. But I never wanted to be like them. All I wanted was to be as far away from them as possible." Piper's eyes were tearing up and Alex kissed those tears away. Piper sat up. Her hand intertwined in Alex's.

"So, I got a degree in English literature." Piper continued. "My dad hated that. Hated that I would waste my talent like that. After that I just wanted to be a writer. Make it on my own, you know." That was a lie. She was recruited by the agency. Because she not only got an english degree but also Master's in Mathematics and physics. Piper loved being an agent. The power. Thrill. Authority. Being able to create new lives. Go to places. Away from her family.

Alex tugged on her hand. Pulled her closer. Their foreheads touching.

"Kiss me." Piper whispered.

Alex obeyed. Slow and gentle. Letting her know that she's loved. Cared for. But Piper's eyes are hungry. She wants to forget that she shared. She is scared that she just made all this a little bit more real. So she kisses back with predatory urgency. Frantic. Biting her lower lip. Hands travelling south.

Alex chuckled as they fell back on the bed. Piper on top of Alex. Then Alex rolled over making Piper land beside her.

"Pipes..." she whispered. "I... I want you to know that you are different for me."

"You're different too, Al. You have really pretty lips." Piper laughed.

"Shh..." Alex said. "You're different because... I love you."

"You do?" Piper asked with a coy smile. Caught so off-guard that she can't believe she heard right. _How could she just lay there, confess her love and look so beautiful?_

"Yeah, I do." Alex's smile is shy. Like she hadn't prepared for it. "I don't say that to everyone. You have to say it back."

"I love you too, Al."

Piper's answers instinctively. Like she has known it longer. It's scary saying it back. Scary cause it's real. But it's exciting. And it does something deep in her stomach. Never in a million years had she thought that she would love someone this deeply or someone will find her worthy of love.

She would come back to this moment probably sometime around midnight. She'll dissect it. Criticize herself for being unprofessional and vulnerable. But then she'll realise how vulnerable Alex herself was. How much courage it must have taken to say those words. How Alex's eyes had dropped in relief when Piper said it back.

But not now.

Now the only sensation in her body is happening down there. Alex's tongue sucking her inner thighs. Worshiping. Kissing. Murmuring I love yous. And Piper's vocabulary has reduced to _fuck me, Jesus Alex, please, god, Jesus fucking Christ. _And the truth has really set her free.

5

The day after Alex asked her to come with her, her team celebrated it at the agency. The mission has been a success so far. Soon enough Piper will be in Kubra's circle.

Caputo patted her back showing his appreciation.

"You know there are talks about placing a Special Agent in-charge, here in New York. And a few people suggested your name." He said off handedly.

"That's..."

"Hmm...everything is riding on this mission, Chapman. Balik is a game changer. Just get Vause and Balik. The agency will make sure you get a chair at the big guys table."

"Yes...thank you, sir. I really appreciate it."

"Don't fuck it up, kiddo."

"I won't, sir."

But she knew she had already fucked it up. She was irrevocably and undoubtedly in love with Alex.

Thanks to Piper being such a good liar, her anxiety was rewarded. Because when Alex asked her why she seemed so tense, Piper said she had a dinner with her parents. And Alex being the generous lover that she was, relieved all the stress on there on the marble kitchen counter. Piper chanted her name like she was addicted.

"Alex...Alex...fuck Alex!"

Piper gladly traded lust and pleasure. Her guilt safely tucked in a box that she'll not reopen anytime soon.

———————

Thank you guys for all the reviews. Please let me know what you think. I would really appreciate the support.

And as for the story, I am really trying to keep the updates consistent. Hoping to finish this before season 7 hits.


	4. Don’t think twice, it’s alright

1

Going away with Alex meant completely devouring herself in the carefully constructed lie. Piper was a master of that. Or so she thought. The fake love wasn't fake anymore. Ignorance was bliss. Just Alex and her, in five star hotels and resorts around the world. Like a long ass vacation.

The first month, Alex wouldn't talk much about work. She kept Piper away from it. Piper suspected that it was a protective rather than secretive move. And Piper never insisted on knowing. Later, Alex confessed that she was scared that Piper would run off if she saw how it was up close and she didn't want to lose her.

Piper absolutely wouldn't have. Even if she was just an aspiring writer from New York, she would've stick around. It was all so intriguing. The way a cartel functions. Mules, users, smugglers, thugs all them under one roof partying for 12, 14, 18 hours without giving a fuck.

Then there were quite nights in their hotel rooms. They would read together silently on their bed. Limbs intertwined. Debating literature and poems.

"Write a poem, Pipes." Alex said one night, flipping through Wuthering heights .

"What?" Piper laughed.

"A poem. Right now. Please." Alex said, raising her eyebrow.

"Okay..." Piper was always up for a challenge. She quickly conjured something in her mind. She leaned in close to Alex's ear and whispered devilishly,

"Such heavy lips..." Piper licked the space beneath Alex's ear. Kissed it gently. "Can slow down anyone's walk."

Alex gasped as Piper hand grabbed her breast. Kneading it with familiar pressure.

"Such huge breasts," Alex chuckled. "Can steal anyone's heart."

Piper played with the waistband of her trousers keeping an eye contact. Alex's lips were parted. Thirsty. Wet. Flustered with the heat and throbbing happening at her core, thanks to Piper's inhibitions.

"The dark lily:" Piper pulled over Alex's T-shirt only to discover nothing underneath. Alex moaned at the kiss that Piper placed just below her belly button. "Your look is a taut arrow..."

Piper got rid of those trousers too. And the insanely sexy black lace panties. "In the bow of love,"

One finger. In Alex's clit. Making slow circles. Deliberate lips on Alex's nipple one by one. Sucking. Kissing. Teasing. Alex was panting. Begging.

"Piper. Fuck. Fuck. More. I need more."

"Say the magic word, love." Piper smirked. Watching Alex so flustered and out of control was a sight to behold.

"Oh, fuck, please. Please! Fuck!"

"Please what, love?"

"Fuck me. Jesus Christ Piper. Fuck me please."

"Your face bests the moon." Piper punctuated with a long and hard kiss on Alex's mouth. And two more fingers in her clit. And Alex rides out her orgasm in Piper's arms. But Piper is relentless. She keeps on giving till 4 in the morning. When Alex is all out of energy and practically drops dead on the bed. 5 times. Piper kept a count. Not their record but a glorious night indeed.

Later that night, Piper finishes the poem in her head.

Yet I know it will vanish one day.

2

Piper never misses her morning runs. Whether it's Belgium, Bali, Dublin, Tokyo or Cambodia. She's always up before Alex. And she's running. It gives her time to re-evaluate.

They have been going to parties and gatherings togethers. Once Alex was sure Piper wouldn't leave, she would take Piper everywhere possible. Alex made sure that Piper wasn't near any heroine. But Piper would get drunk. Or act drunk to get along with the people there.

There were a lot of interesting people. Piper would turn on her charming persona and act as naive as she could. Laughing. Drinking. Kissing Alex. Clicking pictures with everyone. Of everyone. Even in her half-drunken state she would make a note of every name and every location.

6 months into the relationship. Piper had figured out most of it. The mules, the routes, finances, and Alex's obsession with perfectionism in her work. She had made a profile on every person in the close knit circle of Kubra's empire. Except one person - Kubra Balik.

She hadn't met him yet. She knew Alex went to meetings on a weekly basis but never with her. Paranoid little shit.

One thing was certain though, Alex had nothing to do with any weapon smuggling. She might not even know about that business. Alex was kept only one the drug side, which provided funding for the weapons. But soon, if Kubra wanted, Alex would be a part of that too. Given Alex's skills on trading things beyond borders, Kubra would soon involve her in it.

Back in the States, the agency was getting anxious. It was time to reap what Piper had sowed.

That is how Piper started passing the information. One mule at a time. She would mail a photo and a name when she was out on her run. And then the agency would pass it on to other three lettered departments. Small fishes first. Duty before love.

3

"How close are you to Kubra?" Joe asked.

"Not as close as I would like to. Haven't even met him yet."

"That is not good."

"I know. I'm trying."

"What's the problem? Maybe we could help."

"Fahri. He wouldn't let Alex near the terror business."

"Wants to keep it all to himself?"

"No. I think he is protecting her from getting involved. Drug cartel is one thing but weapons and bombs don't really suit Alex's moral compass."

"Vause has a moral compass. She is a criminal. Do you need a reminder?"

"No, Sir."

"Then Fahri needs to be gone. So Alex can get involved. So you can get involved. Do you understand, Agent Chapman?"

"Yes, sir, I understand."

"Good. Now, go do your job. There's a lot of expectations riding on this mission."

Piper hung up. She resumed her running routine around Rembrandt park. She had been doing a great job so far. Giving them names. Enough names that the DEA captured a record number of drug smugglers on the US soil. And a witch-hunt was going on inside the cartel to eliminate the mole.

The cracks were clearly visible in Alex too. She was working all the time. Checking, rechecking all the routes. Shaking off untrustworthy mules. Removing any chance of obstruction. Alex spend less and less time in bedroom. Sometimes, working 24 hours straight. Piper had to remind her to eat and sleep. And Alex told her that she can't stop working. It was more of a work or die situation. If you're not giving your 100%, you'll be put on trial. Alex devoured herself in work. Making every plan foolproof. With precise instructions on how to walk and talk past airport authorities.

But Piper easily accessed Alex's laptop. Copying the schedules. Transportation dates and times. Flight number. And how much heroine was being shipped. Complete list of dirty airport cops who were fed more bribe than what they earn in a year. Neatly organised information of every transport.

Every meticulously designed transport was being caught at a rate that seemed highly like an inside job. Piper knew the flow of information won't last forever unless someone else gets caught. Someone has to become the scapegoat.

Fahri.

Fahri needs to be out of the game for the game to go on longer. Getting Fahri would make a lot of people happy. He is the link between drugs and weapons. Kubra relies on him for almost everything.

Alex always seemed happy around Fahri. He was a father figure to her. Protective but friendly. And accepted Piper in that too. They had breakfasts, lunches and dinners together. In parties, when Alex wasn't around he would make sure Piper has the right company. Alex trusted Fahri with her life.

3

They were having lunch at the Ledbury when Fahri got the call. Alex had taken the weekend off due to a flu and Piper was happy for it. This would take Alex away from the commotion at least for a little while.

Fahri's face paled when he received the call. It was bad news. Alex sensed it. Piper knew it. It was preplanned. Piper had learnt about the transport from emails between the two and of course she had shared it. Even now, outside the Ledbury, agents in civil dresses were keeping a watch on the movements outside. They were to make a move as soon as Fahri gets out of there.

Fahri's contact was arrested at Heathrow Airport before the plane could take off. Fahri was frantic. This was the third time it has happened this month. A total failure. Kubra will not be happy. It was practically a death sentence.

"Fahri, what's wrong?" Alex asked from across the table.

"My guy. He got arrested. He had a package." Fahri said getting up.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. So what? It happens, right? Kubra will understand." Piper said nonchalantly.

"This is not a business of forgiveness, Piper." Fahri's voice was heavy. "Alex..."

"Yes. Where are you going? You know he'll get to you." Alex came out of her momentary shock.

"I...I need to get out of this country at least. And I don't know. I will figure something out."

"That's not how it works."

Fahri gave a sad smile in return.

"Take care of yourself, Alex. Piper. Have a good life." Fahri hugged Alex and Piper.

This whole ordeal felt more emotional than Piper had anticipated. He smiled so sadly that Piper wanted to tell him not to go. But Alex was rooted to her seat. Maybe she had accepted the truth. The truth that Fahri was going to die.

When Fahri walked out, Piper ran after him.

"Fahri. Wait." She shouted just outside the restaurant.

"Piper." He stopped in his tracks.

"Surrender. To the authorities." Piper said.

Fahri laughed.

"I am serious." Piper said. "They want information. On Kubra. They know what kind of business has been going on lately. Trade what you have. Get a sweet deal out of it."

"It's not that easy, Piper. Our life doesn't work like that. My life was over the moment I fucked up that transport."

"No. Give it a shot. The police, they um.. want Kubra. More than anyone."

Realisation dawned on Fahri. He stepped back and evaluated Piper. His eyes getting bigger. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"You are the traitor." He said.

"No shit, Sherlock." Piper joked.

"How? Kubra...he - he ran a background check on everyone. There was nothing about you."

"I have higher powers in my favour."

"I could use you. I could tell Kubra that you're the mole." He smirked.

"That would be a death sentence for Alex. He will kill her, thinking she might have a part in it too." Piper said. "I am certain that you don't want Alex dead."

"Neither do you."

Piper stayed silent.

"Surrender." He said. "To the authorities. Will it work?"

"It might. Tell them you are willing to cooperate if you are given complete protection."

Fahri nodded.

"The work I do for Kubra, I am not proud of it. It kills me everyday, knowing what I do. I don't want that for Alex. Save her. From this." He sounded sincere. Like it was his last wish.

"I will try." Piper said hopefully.

Piper brought Alex to the hotel. The sadness that she witnessed in Alex was unprecedented. Piper tried everything to distract her but she wouldn't budge. Alex was stuck to the news channel.

That day, British police arrested Fahri in a parking lot. It was a surrender. Fahri had taken her advice after his face ended up in every news channel (thanks to his arrested associate). Piper released a breath of relief after hearing that Fahri was in police protection. Soon he will be moved to the embassy for extradition.

Instead of relief, Alex received a call from Kubra. An urgent meeting. Some required organisational changes were to be made. Alex left without saying a word.

Piper received a congratulatory call from Caputo. Who reassured her about Fahri's extradition. But not his safety. He simply ignored the request with no need to worry about it. Even though every single arrested associate from Kubra's cartel had died before they could utter a word against him.

Alex came back after midnight. Sad and defeated. She was even reluctant to even look at Piper.

"Alex," Piper said softly. "What happened in the meeting?"

Alex was sitting at the edge of their bed. Piper beside her. Their fingers intertwined. Alex wouldn't look at her. Alex's eyes were down, staring at the hardwood floor.

"Alex, love, please look at me." Piper requested. When Alex finally looked up, her eyes were watery. Her lower lip trembling as an evidence of how hard she was trying not to cry.

"Oh, Alex, baby.." Piper cooed. Pulled her closer. Kissed her forehead and hugged her. Alex buried her face in Piper's neck and sniffled.

"It's okay, baby. I got you." Piper whispered in her ears. When Alex pulled away, her eyes were red and puffy. She cleared her throat and said in a low, low voice,

"I killed Fahri."

"What? No, no, baby..."

"I did, Pipes. Kubra was there at the meeting. And other people too." Alex said. "People that I haven't seen before. And then he said I am being promoted. I was not sure what that meant. Then he said I am getting Fahri's position. His responsibilities. His work." Alex sniffled. "We celebrated. Then he made a call in front of me. Put it on speaker. It was Aydin. Kubra's hitman. He was asking for permission. Kubra said yes. And then we heard a choking sound. When I asked who it was,"

"Oh baby..."

"He...he made an example of him, Pipes. It was a warning. He killed Fahri. Fahri always told me that we were all replaceable in Kubra's eyes. I thought he wasn't. He was like a brother to Kubra. And he killed him."

Piper held her tighter.

"It's on him. Not you."

"He is a monster." Alex murmured. "He is a monster. And I dragged you into this. Pipes, I am so sorry. I am so sorry."

"Don't be. Alex. Don't be."

"He... he wants to meet you. Kubra, he knows about you. And he wants to meet you tomorrow at his hotel. I couldn't refuse. I couldn't. I felt weak, Pipes, powerless. I should've said no. I am so sorry."

"Alex. Alex. Hey," Piper stroked her hair back and tilted her head so that their foreheads were touching . "If you need forgiveness, I'll give you that. But this is not your fault. You were in a shitty situation and he is a shitty person. I understand. And I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me. Okay?"

Alex nodded.

"Okay."

"We will figure this out. Yeah?" Piper smiled reassuringly.

Piper knew that this meeting with Kubra, was going to be test. They both were going to assess each other. Piper has to keep on the innocent, doe eyed act. But as a precaution, she left a message for the agency.

——————

Hitting 3k words here people!

Thank you for all the comments and follows.

Fun fact :

English is not my first language. Not second. But third. So yeah, most of my knowledge of the west relies on a handful of Hollywood movies and Google the almighty. Bonus? I am student of hard sciences. That being said, please find it in your heart to forgive my mistakes and leave a favourite if you like what I write. No pressure.


	5. I Am Not The Only One

Kubra sent a car around 10 in the morning at the hotel. Piper hadn't expected it to be so soon. She wore a simple blue sundress that Alex picked up for her. It was like having brunch with a friend. Except it wasn't.

The town car slowed in front of Victorian mansion. Alex nudged Piper gesturing to get out of the car. Piper was counting the guards around. Too many guards.

Alex and Piper followed a butler who kindly offered them an umbrella in the hot blistering sun. Holding hands.

"Well, this is kinda nice." Piper tried to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah." Alex's attention was somewhere else. Piper gave a squeeze on her hand.

"I am sure everything will be fine." Piper said cheerfully. Alex smiled.

"I wish you didn't have to do this."

"Yeah. Me too."

Kubra was waiting for them at a garden table in white polo t-shirt and Khaki shorts. He grinned upon seeing them. Piper suppressed the urge to kill him then and there. He got up, removed his sunglasses and hugged Alex dramatically. Alex stiffened at the touch.

"And who might this be?" He appraised Piper ungraciously. But handling unpleasant men at boring tea parties was something Piper has done numerous times.

"This is Piper. My girlfriend." Alex introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Balik." Piper said politely. Kubra scoffed.

"Please. Don't be so formal. It's like a brunch with friends." _It's not_. He shrugged. "Have a seat."

"Sure. Thank you." Piper smiled politely.

_Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. _

The drinks arrived. Then the starters. Kubra maintained the flow of conversation to light topics. The weather, and travel and airline services. Of course, he set the pace of conversation. He was the one asserting the dominance. Showing he's the boss.

Soon enough his focused shifted to Piper. Her childhood. Her parents. Education. Ambitions. He seemed very interested in how she answered instead of what she answered. The slight shake of legs. Quirking of an eyebrow. Breathing pattern. Nervous ticks. An open interrogation.

And of course, Piper knew what was going on. A witch-hunt trial. He must have backtracked to find out what he missed. But Piper had been on the other side of the table. She had been a game maker before, how hard can it be to play.

Half an hour into the brunch, Kubra's phone rang. He picked it up right in front of them.

"Yeah, send them." He ordered. "Just some business. Hope you don't mind. Piper."

"Of course not." Alex answered.

Business meant four girls in their early twenties gagged and bound being dragged into the lawn. They were crying. Begging for their life. Voice muffled by their gags as his thugs forced them to kneel.

Piper grabbed the edge of the table. Knuckles turning white. She watched Alex clenched her jaw shut. Adjusting her glasses. A nervous tick. _Good. It was affecting somebody else here._

_Interrogation. Intimidation. Submission. That's what he wanted_.

"We got these girls from Iran this summer. That one from China." He pointed. "I wanted to give them a life. A rich, pleasurable life. But, sadly, they tried to run away." Kubra's voice was a drawl. Bored even.

_Human trafficking. Another thing to be added to the list of crimes._

Kubra threw a gun at Piper. Her instincts kicked in and she caught it. Turned it and pointed it at him in a blur of motion. She heard thirteen guns cocking at being pointed at her. Alex in a vain effort, positioned herself beside her.

Piper assessed the ways to get out the situation with her and Alex alive. None. The gun he had given her was light. The clip must be empty, Piper figured.

Kubra laughed. As if this was a joke. As if Piper didn't have the guts to shoot him right in the head.

"Good reflexes, blondie." His hands were in the air. Less surrendering, more telling his men to calm down.

_You wanna play. Let's play_.

Piper shrugged and loosened her grip on the gun. She smiled bashfully. Alex relaxed a little when the guard lowered their guns.

"You're full of surprises, I see." Kubra said. "Wanna play target practice?" He asked (decided). He signaled one of his butlers. Soon, an apple was placed at the top of each girl.

_So fucking dramatic_.

Piper would have laughed at his shenanigans hadn't it been about life of four innocent girls. It was hard, reading Kubra.

"Let's see, what's your weapon of choice?" He asked.

This could easily go two ways. Either Piper refuses and leaves Kubra's suspicions unresolved or Piper plays and gives him enough of truth to get out of here alive. Piper chooses the second option. She would very much like to live.

"I'll take the M9." Piper said casually.

"Good choice." Kubra gave her the handgun while he opted for a rifle. "You're awfully comfortable around guns for a girl who grew up in Connecticut suburbs."

Piper shrugged and turned the safety off on her handgun.

"My grandfather owned part of a gun company back in the Second World War." Piped said.

"Is that so?" Kubra said, surprised.

Piper nodded. "So, how do we do this?"

"Simple. Shoot the apple. You go first." Kubra said.

Piper threw a seemingly apologetic glance towards Alex while cocking her gun. Alex had an unreadable expression with sunglasses hiding her eyes.

Piper shot it easily. Keeping an eye contact with the girl as if to say _I won't hurt you._

"Nice shot. What's the name of the company that your grandfather owned?"

"Chapman and Holt."

"And he taught you to shoot?"

"No. My father did."

Kubra shot the next apple and reloaded his rifle. He hummed as the girl took a sigh of relief.

Piper took her time cocking the gun and aiming. She missed. Shooting a tree trunk behind the girl somewhat intentionally. She pouted dramatically. Kubra laughed at that.

He shot it effortlessly. Making quite a show of it. He nodded telling Piper to take the next shot. Piper took it still maintaining the show of an amateur. Kubra clapped.

"Bravo! Bravo! I must say I am quite impressed." Kubra said taking the gun off of her hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Balik." Piper watched a guard walk forward behind Kubra as he began to say,

"Oh please, no formaliti-"

The guard said something to Kubra quietly. Keeping a hand to cover his lips, so that it was impossible to lip read. Kubra solemnly nodded after hearing whatever information was fed to him.

"Forgive me for the abrupt end to this pleasant conversation, Piper. But there is some business that needs my attention at the moment." He said smiling sweetly as if it was a normal tea party. "I enjoyed this, us. I am hoping to see you soon, Piper."

"Yeah. Me too." Piper said giving one of her dashing smiles. She saw Alex getting up from her chair with a sour face. _Oh boy, she is not happy_.

But then Kubra picked up the rifle again and started loading it. Piper was about to interrupt but Kubra had already aimed it towards the girls.

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang_.

He shot all the four girls. One by one in the head. Piper flinched at every shot. The absurdness of the situation surprised her. Here she was, perfectly capable but unable to save lives of innocent people.

————————

She was ashamed. All the training, skill, intelligence and she couldn't save those girls. Kubra did whatever he wanted. She could have killed him there. There was enough weaponry and hiding spots. She had a back up battle plan in case everything went to shit. She didn't use it and those girls died. And Alex. Alex had been there the whole time. Silent. Watching. She must've known what was to happen. She had worked long enough to know.

Was this normal for Alex? Has she witnessed so many executions that it doesn't affect her anymore? Perhaps. But how could killing innocent people ever be normal except you are a psychopath? Piper sighed and looked at Alex.

Alex was talking with the driver about a music concert downtown. Piper couldn't stack away the anger and disappointment that was on her face.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" Alex asked, concerned.

_How could I be okay?_

"Yeah. Just a bit nauseous. Nothing to worry about." She lied for the sake of the driver.

Something unreadable crossed Alex's eyes. Worry? Surprise? Disappointment? Piper couldn't care less. It seemed those deaths did nothing to Alex. Was Alex so used to this that it didn't affect her? Then Alex was not the person Piper thought she was.

The car stopped in front of their hotel and Piper got out haphazardly leaving Alex behind. She took the stairs ignoring Alex. She climbed the five floors to their floor thinking that she needed the blood flow to think quick. The next step.

Piper went into their room using her key card. She took a few deep breaths leaning on the closed door then went to the closet in determined strides. She got rid of the stupid sundress that she was wearing and opted for her running gear. A black sweatshirt, track pants, running shoes and sunglasses. And the earpiece. She had to brief the agency on her meeting.

By the time Alex entered their room, she was putting on her shoes. Alex shot her a quizzical look. She closed the door behind her and walked to Piper who was sitting on the edge of the bed. She sat next to her.

"I thought you were not feeling well." Alex asked putting a finger under Piper's chin prompting her to look up.

"Yeah. I thought taking a jog might help. Clear my head, you know." Piper said avoiding any eye contact.

Alex nodded. Something was off. They both could sense it. It was only a matter of seconds before one of them brings it up.

Piper stood up. Not willing to deal with the unsaid. She has a job to do-

Alex grabbed her hand as she started to walk away.

"Does it... does it bother you? What happened there?" Alex asked. Her voice small, uncertain, too afraid to know the answer. But Piper's answer came out harsher than she had intended.

"Of course, it does, Alex." Piper snapped. "Not everyone is used to witnessing murder. No, merciless execution."

"Yeah." Alex sighed. "You are right. You didn't sign up for this."

Piper was starting to regret her words until Alex started speaking again. Alex stood up too. Piper was taken aback by such fury.

"And you also forgot to tell me that you were a gun fanatic. That shooting at people's heads was okay with you till they start dying. Wow! Pipes, your grandfather owned a gun company that I didn't know about but you casually mentioned it to him. You were perfectly fine chit chatting with Kubra but God forbid if I d-"

Piper's phone vibrated in a familiar rhythm. The agency's call. It must be about the briefing. She was supposed to meet someone and feed detailed information. This conversation needs to end fast. She needs to get out of there.

"Oh! For god's sake." Piper shouted. "Is that's what bothering you? What did you want me to do? Freak out? I wasn't enjoying it, Alex. I just did whatever he said in the calmest way possible. I didn't wanna end up like those girls. So sorry if chit chatting with your boss was inconvenient for you."

"Don't fucking try to justify it, Piper! You liked it. Loved the whole thing, didn't you? The attention, the guns, the -"

"The executions. Is that what you are getting at? Well, yeah, guess what? I'm now a fucking witness to an execution. And I can't say a fucking word. Wasn't that his motive? Get me involved! Or maybe that was you? Your idea?"

Her phone vibrated again. She would have to pick it up the third time.

"Fuck You, Piper. Fuck you for even thinking that. I would never do that. To you, I would never do that. You just need an excuse to make me just like them. You think I am one of them. I am not one of them."

"I don't even know what's the difference between them and you and now me. I don't know anymore."

"So what you are gonna walk away? Avoid me? Run instead of talking? Is that what you want?"

"I...i-" Piper said gently. "I just need some space okay? I need time to process ... this. Please, Alex."

Alex nodded reluctantly. She turned away from Piper, head down and covered by raven hair. She looked so hurt that Piper couldn't help but comfort her. Piper touched her arm softly. Prompting her to turn towards her. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her left ear and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"I'll be back in an hour. Then we will go to that dinner that we planned, yeah?" Piper said softly.

"Yeah."

Piper walked backwards without turning. Smiling slyly.

"You know what happens after dinner, right?" She said.

"Yes. I can't wait." Alex grinned.

"I love you, Al. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I love you too, Pipes."

"Bye."

Piper closed the door and took a deep breath. That was hard. And unnecessary in a mission like this. But who was she kidding? She was so deep in love that their relationship felt like the most real thing in her life.

Piper picked up the call when her cell started ringing for the third time.

"I am on my way." Piper said in an even voice.

———————

Thank you guys for all the comments and likes. As for the questions, I'll be answering them coming Sunday, so keep them coming.

Quick Note :

This story is gonna be in two parts. I have not decided yet whether or not there will be two books. But, the first part will be finished before OITNB7 and the second part will come out within a week after the release of OITNB7 so that the uploads remain consistent.


	6. Sick Of Losing Soulmates

1

Three streets from their hotel, Piper stopped running. She took out her earphones and walked towards an outdoor café across the street. There was a woman sitting under one of the bright colourful umbrellas reading a newspaper. A woman Piper instantly recognised. Stella.

"I didn't know it was going to be you, Carlin. Where is Caputo?" Piper said sitting down in front of her.

"Good to see you too, Chapman." Stella folded the paper in her hand. "I must say the preppy look suits you."

"And you still look like a cop from a bad 90s movie." Piper replied smugly.

"Fine. Fine." Stella chuckled. "Caputo is busy. What's the update?"

"I met Kubra Balik." Piper said.

"And?"

"He has guards. Heavily armed ones. Some of them looked like ex-military."

"Anything specific?" Stella leaned in getting interested. She took out her laptop and logged into the system to process Piper's information.

"A man. Mid 30s. Bald. Mexican accent. A lizard tattoo beneath right ear. Moustache. He looked like someone important. He whispered something to Kubra while I was there. Check in military and criminal databases."

"38 matches with your description." She turned the laptop towards Piper. "Here, see if you recognise him."

Piper scrolled down till she found his picture next to a name.

"Found him. Gustavo Sanchez. Two years in the presidential guard. Fired due to insubordination. It's him." Piper said, ecstatic.

"Let's put a tail on him. If we can get him alive, uff, Kubra is in a lot of trouble." Stella said taking her laptop back. "What's up with you? Something you wanna tell me."

"Kubra...he, he killed some girls right in front of me. And I couldn't do shit. He said they were smuggled. So you can right down human trafficking as well." Piper scoffed.

"Not surprising for a guy like him. But that's not what's bothering you, is it?" Stella said.

"Alex's reaction to it. It was like she wasn't affected by it. I am afraid she's beyond saving. It scares me to think that she's one of them." Piper said with uncertainty. She wasn't sure on how to share this but she needed to share this.

"She's not... you are not supposed to save her." Stella sighed. "I've seen you in missions before. You... you are a brilliant agent because you get things done. No strings attached. She is a criminal. That's why she is so close to Kubra. You can't expect her to be compassionate."

It was a mistake, sharing that with Stella. Piper realised that her view on the world was still black and white despite being in the agency for so long. But Piper's beliefs were still strong. They refuse to see Alex as human because they don't know her she does. Don't love her like she does.

"Yeah. You are right." Piper said curtly. "I should go now. I'll send whatever else I can find. Have a good day, Carlin." Piper got up.

"Be careful. You can't afford falling for someone like Alex Vause."

Oh dear, I already have.

Piper smiled in reply.

2

Two weeks later

On an early Wednesday morning in Melbourne, Piper was splayed across Alex's lap. Her head in Alex's shoulder. Alex has a copy of Anna Karenina in one hand as she was reading out loud for Piper, stroking her hair.

"What happened to him in that moment is what always happens to those who are unexpectedly caught in some shameful deed. He had no time to adapt his face to the position..."

Slowly Piper zoned out of the smooth narration. She was soon occupied in an internal assessment of her current situation.

After the first meeting with Kubra, things between Piper and Alex mellowed down. Of course, they had a very rough and pleasurable night filled with a lot of makeup sex but after that Alex was back on her long working hours and Piper doing absolutely nothing. Things were back to normal. Except their weekly visits to Kubra's parties.

It was clear that Kubra had taken a deep interest in her whether it was because of her rich family background or her carelessness in front of him, she wasn't sure. But it surely worked in her favour. Kubra used almost no guard around them. They would joke and play until it was business time again. Alex would join them a bit later with some reluctance.

Alex clearly had a problem whenever Kubra was around Piper. Protective instinct? Maybe possessiveness. There was always an underlying rage in Alex's eyes whenever Piper laughed too fondly or he touched her little too long. Piper reassured her again and again that she loved her but she couldn't explain why she was like that around Kubra. Truth to be told, Piper loved it too because hangouts like those would usually end up in hot, desperate and rough sex. All the attention and affection would be shown on those nights.

And in the morning she would feel guilty again. For lying. For betraying Alex. She felt like she didn't deserve it. Like she wasn't worthy enough. She blamed herself for not finding a way out of this fucked up situation.

"Pipes?" Alex nudged her lightly. "Were you sleeping on me?" Alex was smiling adorably.

"No." Piper sat up. "I was not."

Alex laughed. "Did you hear what I said?" Piper shook her head. "Diane called yesterday. She was wondering if we could go visit her this weekend. So...what do you say?"

Piper loved visiting Diane. She was an amazing woman. She had so many happy memories with her.

"But..." Piper paused. "Kubra invited us to his party this weekend." She was hoping to get a chance to be near Kubra once again for one last trick.

In seconds, Alex went from joyous to melancholic. Thanks to Piper.

"Yeah. You're right. The party. Kubra's party. We have to be there." Alex adjusted her glasses absentmindedly.

"We can go next week. Maybe we could bring her some of those Belgium chocolates that she likes?" Piper said sounding optimistic.

"Yeah. She would love those." Alex said fondly.

Friday

They had a flight in four hours to Paris. But Piper managed to convince Alex that she needed to go run a few miles before leaving Melbourne. The flight was going to be long and exhausting so it wasn't that hard to convince.

Piper ran on the jogging trails of Albert lake park keeping an eye out for potential tails. Everything seemed just as usual. Soon enough, a man in a black cap and thick moustache was running alongside her.

"Could you please slow down a bit?" Joe Caputo said exasperatedly.

Piper chuckled and came to a halt behind a nearby tree. "Too old, Joe?" She chuckled.

"You're too fast, Chapman." Joe said panting. He took out a Manila envelope.

Piper laughed, taking the envelope and opening it. A small thumb drive and a small cube fell out on her palm.

"That's a special grade thumb drive. You put it in Kubra's computer, it copies every single file on his computer. Easy peasy."

"What about this? I don't remember them being so small." Piper held up the small black cube.

"Audio transmitter, 5th generation. It will record everything in 50 meter radius. Plant it somewhere close to Kubra, assuming you're going to that party thing this weekend." Joe said.

"Yeah. We are." Piper replied pocketing the devices. Caputo contemplated her for a few seconds. "What?" Piper asked.

"Let's take a walk, Chapman." Caputo said taking a few steps forward.

"What is this about?" Piper asked having no clue what's gonna happen.

"I spoke to Carlin." Caputo said. "She tells me that you're getting attached with the subject, Alex Vause. I am not going to say anything new. You are capable of understanding how dangerous that could be. This is a lonely job Chapman. And it's easy to get attached but that makes us blind."

"Is there a point of this conversation? You'll have a successful mission when I am done." Piper retorted defensively.

"I am worried about you." Caputo said. "This thing is gonna end with Kubra and everyone associated with him behind bars."

"I know that Joe. But I also know that Alex is not involved in any threat regarding our national security. She's a drug smuggler, yes, but I would never let her get accused of something she would never do."

"That is not up to you, Chapman." Joe scolded. "Your job is to get Kubra and everyone who is associated with him behind bars and trust in the system that it will do justice."

"Yeah, like it did with Fahri." Piper scoffed. "Can we go back to business please? How many people know about the bugs?"

Caputo sighed heavily and said, "It's just between you and me."

"That means you don't trust whether or not I'll be able to get it done?" Piper asked.

"Yes. And no. I trust your abilities but I don't trust the circumstances. I can't give false hope when this operation has more chances of failure than success, especially with deputy director watching our every move."

"Deputy director is in our team, now?" Piper asked, surprised.

"Natalie Figueroa, legal head got promoted to deputy director a week ago." Caputo explained. "She's heading the whole operation now. And she wants results and positive results. We can't give her any setback. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Piper nodded.

"Now, go be a good agent. Get this done." Caputo patted her back and took off in another direction.

On her run back, Piper smiled at how many people have already told her not to get close to Alex. It reminded her of her sophomore year girlfriend - Eliza.

She was her first girlfriend. Eliza was so good to her (God, she was such a goth). In a time when her parents and peers critiqued her about etiquette, Eliza was there to show what real care felt like. When Eliza kissed her for the first time, she freaked out. She enjoyed it, yes, but breaking rules was terrifying. And thrilling. The rush and passion of having secret love was overwhelming.

When her Polly Harper caught them making out in the bleachers. She clearly dismissed Piper saying that it was just a phase. That you don't get involved with someone like Eliza. Then it was her mother who caught them kissing in the backyard which was very unpleasantly followed by lectures on her status in society. How inappropriate it was for her to be associated with someone like that. Piper still has those memories of being shipped to boarding school thinking she did something absolutely horrible.

But this Piper knows better. It's selfish but she doesn't want Alex to be incriminated. She wants to be the one to save Alex. It's a redemption of her own for all the lies that she has told so far. And she will never let anyone else decide who she gets to love.

—————————


	7. Skyfall

Kubra's parties always reminded Piper of _Gatsby_. Grand and way too many people. Laughter, booze and white lines on mahogany tabletops. Sometimes celebrities or politicians would join in as well. It's chaos but anyone in the vicinity knows not to go in without an invite.

Piper and Alex are in the close circle of Kubra. They sit where he sits. The powerful people are in there with them, in the open space verandah that overlooks the rest of the party. It's in one of Kubra's many mansions in Paris. It has high ceilings with enormous chandeliers. Red, green, blue and neon lights bouncing off the walls and thump-thump-thump of some pop music thrumming in her blood.

Piper held the glass of champagne in her right hand and leaned on the railings, evaluating the party crowd. Her midnight blue cocktail dress fits around her hips perfectly. It had been a last minute choice due to the pockets which now carry the bugs. Piper took a sip of her champagne. Kubra hasn't arrived yet.

Piper felt two hands being softly placed at her hips. She sighed and leaned into the touch. Falling back on Alex. Alex chuckled in response.

"Feels like being on the upper deck of the Titanic, doesn't it?" Alex said after a while.

Piper nodded. "Looks like they are having way more fun than us."

Alex backed away a bit. She took Piper by her wrist and tugged towards the staircase spiralling down.

"What are you... what about-"

"Kubra won't be here for another hour. C'mon! Let's have some fun." Alex grinned like a child.

Piper couldn't stop smiling then. The childish excitement in Alex. The way she protectively has Piper's back as they go deeper into the crowd. The slow movements of her hips as she reduces any possible gap between her and Piper and starts to sway with the music. Their hands in and out of each other's hair. The slow trailing of experienced fingers going on well owned territories. The sloppy and hungry kisses of necks, collarbones and lips. Both looking like lovesick teenagers who couldn't get enough.

Time doesn't have its usual speed when they are like this. It's fast and sometimes slow. They are panting when the song ends. Both willing to continue this in a more private location.

A tap on Alex's shoulder brought her out of her trance. Alex turned around to find one of Kubra's men signalling her to come upstairs. Alex nodded. Turning to Piper, she leaned in closer to her ear and said,

"I am gonna go have some business talk with Kubra. We will pick it up where we left. I promise." Alex left with a gentle kiss and a provocative wink.

Piper let her go. At least Kubra was here now. She just needed to find his computer. And how many rooms could one mansion have?

By the time Piper opened the 17th door, she had lost all hope. Maybe today's not the day. Most of the rooms were occupied by guest who were already high off their asses. And others were naked people. A lot of naked people. Piper couldn't care less about them.

The last room however was the one were Kubra was having his meeting. Piper could tell that by the guard posted just outside. Going in now would be a mistake. So, Piper waits for the next fifteen minutes behind the door of a room just across it whose occupants were both naked and high.

When the meeting finally ended, Kubra came out laughing. From her little stakeout, Piper could see that Alex seemed distressed about something. When they were out of sight along with the bodyguard, Piper came out of hiding and casually slipped into the room.

The room sort of resembled a conference room. Long dark wood table with chairs on side. At the other end there's a television mounted on the wall. As Piper got closer, there was a call log on the screen. The latest call was an American number from Washington. Who the hell that must be?

The laptop was sitting right there at the head of the table. It was unlocked. Thank god. She wouldn't have to hack the password. But it also meant that Kubra will be back soon to get it. He is arrogant but not naive.

Piper got to work pretty quickly. She used a penny to unscrew the bottom case. It comes out easily. She placeed the little black cube in the space between. Once it was securely placed with no chance of falling it, Piper reassembled the whole thing praying that she didn't damage any parts.

Next went the thumb drive. Piper put it on one of the ports and it started running a code automatically. Piper left the laptop and peeked out of the door just to be sure.

Fuck.

Kubra was walking towards the conference room. He was too busy talking to a very sketchy looking guy. Piper ran to the laptop. The screen read,

**48%**

**Estimated time : 560 seconds**

Piper glanced at the laptop. What's the best way to deal with this? Fuck fuck fuck.

**507 seconds**

Kubra was just outside the door. Piper could hear them talking. She could even make out the words if she concentrated hard enough. But she was too busy emptying a nearby glass of champagne all on her dress. She smeared the rest of her lipstick, kicked off one of her heels to the far corner, tousled her hair and hoped that she looked drunk as fuck. She was positioning herself on the third chair from the head of the table very ungracefully when her ears focused on Kubra's words,

"-no, no... keep Vause out of it. The less she knows the better. JF wants her to take the fall. We can't risk telling her more than she needs to know. Once she is arrested I don't want her to rat us out to the agency."

"We can take her out before the agency gets her." An unfamiliar voice said. "Like we did with Fahri and all the others."

Piper's heart is beating like she has run a marathon. This was not the kind of information she was supposed to hear but thank god she did.

"When the time comes she must be taken care of. But don't do anything that's unnecessary. In two days everything will pay off all the sacrifices and we will have everything we ever wanted."

"To a new world."

There was a clink of glass and a short laughter. Piper heard Kubra get in the room as she settled with her face in the crook of her elbow and another glass of whiskey.

**234 seconds**

Kubra halted the moment he saw her. His whiskey splashing out of his tumbler. He contemplated her for a few seconds before walking forward to reach her. He came closer and placed a hand on Piper's bare shoulder, grabbing it hard.

_Motherfucker_.

"Wha-" Piper mumbled. "Alexxx..." she lifted her head slowly and hoped drama classes at Smith were worth it.

"No. It's me." Kubra chuckled.

Piper tried to stand up but failed miserably.

"No. No. No. Sit down." Kubra grabbed her waist pulling her back on the chair and sat down next to her. "You look very very drunk."

"No...it was just one drinkk." Piper slurred. "Alex was there then she wasn't." Piper cried. Tears streaming down, smearing her mascara.

"I am sure she was busy." Kubra's hands now travelled to her head. Stroking her hair.

"But she left me." Piper wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "She...she..." Piper broke down crying again.

Kubra pulled her closer with one hand and placed his other hand at Piper's inner thigh. Piper silently gasped at the contact.

"Shh... baby girl. I am here now. I will take care of you. Soon there will be no Alex Vause and you will be all mine."

The way he was holding her now, Piper counted eight ways in which she could end his life. Three of which would be very painful.

_A knee to his balls. Rotate his body while he will be recovering. Head in armlock. Crushing the tumbler and putting it into his mouth. Tighten the arm around his neck and he will be forced to breath in the glass which will in turn cut his trachea into pieces, causing him to bleed internally. Breathing will kill him. Slowly and rather painfully. But no. Now's not the time._

Piper counted the seconds in her head.


	8. Suspicious Minds

**76 Seconds**

If Piper does anything now, her cover would be blown. So she held her breath as Kubra forced himself upon her. Forcefully. And rough. Consequently hurting her. She moved, trying to get out of his hold but he wouldn't budge.

Until Kubra's phone vibrated in his pocket. He grunted and reluctantly let go. He got up and took out his phone facing away from Piper.

**46 seconds**

Piper exhaled in relief. She stretched her hand towards the thumb drive, removing it completely. She has to get out of here trusting that it copied enough information to incriminate him.

"What?!" Kubra shouted over the phone. "Gustavo?... fucking idiot! ... yes, yes. Terminate him before he says a word to Police... I understand that...yes I will...no, she won't be a problem. I kept her away from it...in two days. Yeah...for a new world."

By the time Kubra turned back to Piper, Piper had already gotten up and getting to leave pretending to be disoriented but conscious. She opened the door with heels in one hand and a glass in another.

"Where are you -" Piper was out of the door before Kubra could finish his sentence. She literally ran out of the mansion and grabbed a taxi to their hotel room. Abandoning Alex. If she wanted to save Alex then she would have to figure this out and soon.

She took the stairs back at the hotel. She hid the thumb drive inside her running shoes and quickly changed into more casual clothes. She prepared a getaway bag with her passport, a gun and some money, just in case.

Next she sat down at Alex's desk with her laptop, phone, notepad and a watch. Alex would be here soon. She had already left 4 missed calls and 2 voicemails which Piper did not reply. If Alex is trying to find her at the party then it'll buy her some more time. She turned on the voice receiver on her phone so that she could hear any conversation that might be happening in Kubra's vicinity. Right now it was receiving some vague French song.

Piper plugged the thumb drive into her laptop. With some coding, she entered the file log.

**—Encryption code required—**

What the hell was an encryption code required for? Wasn't she on her own? She would have to call Caputo now.

The audio receiver buzzed back to life. Piper directed her attention towards it.

"What is it?" Kubra's voice asked.

"It's from the messenger. He says that your laptop might get compromised." Someone replied. Piper recognised the voice as the same that was talking about eliminating Alex. Aydin.

There was a long pause before Kubra said, "Destroy it." And a loud gunshot.

Piper released a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She clenched her fist trying to ease off the anger.

How could he know that? The bug? An information that was just between her and Caputo. Unless...

Piper dialed the agency. She needed the encryption code to know who was the Kubra's man inside the agency.

"Caputo?" Piper immediately said.

"No. It's Deputy director Figueroa. Do you have the information?"

Piper was stunned hearing her stern tone. She had always corresponded with Caputo while on missions abroad. This was new.

"I didn't know you would be receiving the call, Deputy director."

"Well. I am now. And you report directly to me now. Just to make things faster. What can I do for you?"

Trust or not to trust. How much faith can I put into her?

"I need the encryption code for the thumb drive Caputo gave me." Piper iterated in one breath.

"You had access to Kubra's computer." She sounded eager. Happy eager. "What about the microphone?"

"I didn't have much time. I am not sure how much data was copied. And the microphone..." Piper paused. "I couldn't plant it. The encryption code, please."

"Yes... it's 26072019."

Piper typed the numbers in still staying on the call.

**Files copied : 76% from parent** **database**

**Loading**…

"Fuck. It only copied 5 percent." Piper exclaimed.

"That's nothing."

"I think I didn't give it enough time to copy."

"No. It's okay. There wasn't much hope in this operation anyway."

"Yeah. I'll get back to you if I find something." Piper hung up. Piper wrote on the notepad everything that she knew so far from listening into Kubra's conversation.

Who is JF?

What happens in two days?

How come he knows agency's crucial secrets?

Does he already know who I am?

Does Alex know?

No. That's not possible.

Why does he want to get rid of Alex?

Who is the messenger?

He must have someone on the inside. Someone powerful. Maybe that's how he has access to anyone we arrest. He is not working alone, that's for sure. There was someone above him. Otherwise he won't be so sure. But Alex. For him, she is just a pawn. Like Fahri and Sanchez.

Alex needs to get away from Kubra. But how?

Unless she tells her everything. No, that's not an option.

She gets Kubra before he gets Alex.

The computer came back to life with the files. It was not everything but most of the documents were there.

Piper opened the first file.

It was an expansive log of every bank transaction he has ever made. She scrolled down the list to find something out of the ordinary. Most of it was payments to mercenaries and to people who work for him. Records of thousands and thousands of dollars and euros. Most definitely drug money. Piper didn't know what she was looking for but she thought she will know it when she sees it.

And she did. The first transaction from someone called JF was three million dollars. It was deposited into Kubra's account almost three years ago. Back when he was just starting to dip his toes into the terror business. Then the deposits seemed to periodic. Every month. Undoubtedly this was used in carrying out some very illegal operations. Tracing the money back was unfruitful as it lead to numerous bank accounts of shell companies.

But the latest transactions were what caught Piper's attention. Some money transferred to a company for flight booking. Piper didn't recall Alex mentioning anything about Kubra going to New York. It just didn't seem right. Another thing was huge amounts of cash going in and out of accounts that belonged to seemingly random people. And backtracking records of those accounts led to trading firm on Wall Street. There had been a lot of trading by these people on selected companies.

One thing was certain though. She couldn't trust anyone. The drive only copied some of the files. So, she had no idea who else might be involved in this, especially with this high profile insider JF. At the same time she needed to understand what all this money transactions meant. It was too large to be just mercenaries pay off.

Piper dialed a number on her phone. She pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder and resumed work on the laptop.

"Washington speaking..." The reciever said.

"Poussey." Piper said. "Are you at the farm?"

"No, Chapman, I am at home and on a secure line. This is a surprise. I thought you weren't supposed to call me."

"I am not. But I don't really have a choice. I need you to do something for me. And keep it between the two of us. Is that okay with you?"

"Is everything all right over there?" Poussey asked, worried. "Coming from you, this sounds very unusual."

"Look, I can't tell you much now but there might be traitors in the agency and the government who are funding the things that Kubra is doing. He already knew about the bugs somehow and he-"

"Bugs?"

"Caputo gave me a microphone to plant on Kubra but he destroyed it before I could get anything. Also, anyone we arrest, dies even at most secured locations. Tell me it's not an inside job."

"No shit." Poussey exclaimed. "I'm flattered but how come you trust me?"

"Semper fi." Piper replied.

"Semper fi." Poussey conformed. "How can I help you?"

"I need you to take a look at the Wall Street market. Stock prices. Selling, buying patterns. Just take a look and tell me if you can see anything unusual."

Piper waited a few seconds before Poussey spoke again.

"The market is doing pretty good. Overall stock prices are looking good. Some buyers are hiking the prices of NASDAQ and NYSE. But as of two hours ago, there was a sell off of some airline company stocks that were recently bought resulting a drop of almost 300 points. Speculations are that they will drop further. Here, I see the same trend with some tourism and insurance companies. Their stocks are at high point but some people are selling off. You with me?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Piper replied.

"Well, there's the strange thing. The traders are buying shares of tech companies, defence and weaponary contractors and security agencies." Poussey finished. "I am not sure how to say this but they seem to know something we don't."

"What does that mean? Can't anybody else see that?"

"It means that if you had a sixth sense and you came to know that a hurricane is gonna hit, you sell the shares of airlines and railways that are high point because you know those companies are gonna lose when the tragedy hits. You get what I am saying?"

"No. But go on."

"It's so subtle that you can't see if you aren't looking hard enough. Something is gonna happen here in the states and those guys are gonna make some cold hard cash."

Piper sighed heavily before replying.

"I am coming to New York. Tomorrow. Kubra Balik is gonna be there as well."

"Don't tell me you are thinking about catching him single-handedly. I get that you have a weird passion for justice but that's just plain stupid."

"Stupid but necessary. Besides I have you." Piper chuckled.

"I am flattered. But, seriously, think about it. He is a terrorist. You'll need help-"

"Which you'll provide. I need you to run a background check on everyone on our team. Bank records, phone records, where did they travel, who met them since the mission began. And you find the mole."

"I can do Bennett, Carlin and Bloom but I don't have the security clearance for Caputo and Fig. I'll get back to you when I find something."

"Yeah. Sure."

Piper hung up and booked a ticket to New York, right after the flight in which Kubra was getting on that is in eight hours. How hard could it be to find a man like Kubra in New York.

Now, Alex. How does she explain her sudden departure to Alex without breaking her heart?

Piper closed her laptop and left her phone on the table opting for a quick shower to get her brain functions back enough to think this thing through.


	9. Love The Way You Lie

When Piper exited the shower, the sun was already up in the sky. Sunlight came through the French windows and poured the whole room with brightness. It was a mesmerising scene and Piper would have basked in the sunlight had it not been for Alex sitting there at the edge of bed with a bottle of wine.

"Alex." Piper said, surprised. "When did you come in? Why are-"

"You seem pretty sober." Alex said catching her eyes and taking a sip from the bottle. She was still in her black dress that she wore to the party.

"Yeah. I just took a shower." Piper replied. "But It's a little early to drink, don't you think?" Piper went on to grab the bottle out of Alex's hand. Piper strongly suspected that the reason behind Alex's behaviour must be related to Kubra. Alex laid back on the bed. Eyes closed.

"What happened in the meeting with Kubra? Did he ask you to do somethin-"

"Why?" Alex groaned, turning to face Piper who was getting into her jeans. "Were you rooting for him to ask me something that I'll refuse so that he can have an excuse to kill me?"

The way Alex said it, halted Piper in her movements. She had no idea were Alex was coming from or whatever the fuck happened after she left the party. Piper finished putting on a black t-shirt before going to the foot of the bed and nudging Alex.

"Where is that coming from?" Piper knelt down to take off Alex's shoes. But Alex refused to corporate and stretched her hand to grab the wine bottle from the bedside table. Piper removed it before Alex could reach it. "I think you have had too much. You are drunk, Jesus Alex-"

"Oh, no, no, no..." Alex laughed. "I am way too sober for this conversation."

"What does that mean?"

"I-I can't anymore. I can't do this anymore." Alex sat up. Her eyes red. Either from rage or from despair Piper couldn't tell.

"Can't do what?" Piper asked getting frustrated but not willing to quit.

"Pretending." Alex yelled. "That everything is fucking fine."

"Al." Piper didn't know what to say. Does Alex know already? About her being an agent. Or did Kubra tell her?

No, if Kubra knew then she wouldn't be alive.

"Kubra asked me to step down." Alex stood up. Standing directly in front of Piper. She is going to fight, oh boy. "Ordered me to take a few days off of cartel business."

"That's-That's a good thing, right?" Piper said with uncertainty.

"No, Pipes!" Alex snapped. "It is an international drug cartel. We don't get holidays and retirement. Either we die working or we get arrested. And this is the first time Kubra has asked someone to stop working. And I don't know Pipes, it feels like he wants to get fucking rid of me. Me, when I have worked so hard and for so long. Now he wants me to quit."

"You-you don't want to quit?"

"No. I want an explanation. Why the fuck would he ask me to leave? So I asked."

"What did he say?"

"Well that's funny, isn't it?" Alex said accusingly. "You know exactly why."

"What? How the fuck would I know?" Piper yelled back.

"Stop fucking lying." Alex's voice was so loud and aggressive that Piper had to take a step back. Alex knew. Fuck.

"Alex. I-I..."

"You're what, sorry?" Alex questioned.

"Al, you have to understand that I couldn't say a word even if I-"

"God. I was so stupid to believe that you actually love me. Rule number one, don't fall in love with a straight girl." Alex chuckled hurtfully.

"Don't be a fucking asshole, Alex-"

"Oh, I am being an asshole? I fucking trusted you. I-"

"Alex, I am sorry." Piper cried. "I didn't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt-"

"Well, congratulations, you did hurt me." Alex spat out angrily. "What, you thought I would be happy knowing that you were fucking my boss behind my back?"

"Al-" Piper stooped. "Wait, WHAT?"

"Kubra. He told everyone how you were all over him. A hot mess. Begging to be fucked."

"Alex! What the fuck?" Piper was shocked. "I never...I would never...he lied to you."

"Yeah? Piper just fucking stop your innocent act." Alex was seriously pissed off. "You were just apologising. And now you didn't do it."

"I was drunk, last night! He came on to me. And I ran the fuck away. I can't believe you trusted him over me. He fucking lied through his teeth and you believed him."

Alex stormed to her drawer, pulling them open, she grabbed a couple of photographs. She threw them on the bed. Piper's eyes focused on pictures of her and Stella sitting outside in that café in London after they had their first fight.

"Explain this, Piper." Alex said and hoped against hope that Piper will not lie.

"Where did you get these?" Piper eyes were still on the photographs.

"Kubra. He showed me these when I refused to believe him. He said it's not the first time you did something like this. Who is she?!"

"She is a friend, for god's sake." Piper tried to salvage whatever was left of her. If Alex didn't know yet then she could still find a way to get away. And maybe, just maybe it'll be easier leaving her. If she's angry then she can't be hurt.

"A fucking friend you never told me about. A friend who is suddenly in London at the exact same time we were?" Alex lashed out. "Now, unless you are super secret service agent, I don't know how do you explain this!"

Piper was at loss of words. There was no way out of this except the truth. But the truth at this point seemed way to risky to be told. The truth could solve all the misunderstanding but Piper was not sure what Alex's reaction would be to it. And how much would Alex be able to forgive.

Taking Piper's silence as an affirmation to the accusation, Alex sat down on the edge of the bed with a defeated sigh.

"Kubra said," Alex had her head in her hands and eyes downcast. "That girl was living in the same hotel in which we were. He wanted to be sure with you. Turned out, she was bragging about having fucked a blonde girl at the hotel bar. Did she? Did you?"

Piper knelt down in front of Alex. She tried to catch Alex's eyes but Alex refused to look back.

"Al, that is not the truth."

"I get it now." Alex looks up finally. Her eyes at the brink of tearing up. "Kubra wants me out of the picture."

"Al, it's not what you think. I-"

"Stop fucking lying already!" Alex said through gritted teeth. "At least have the decency to be subtle-"

Alex's phone rang up. Alex spared Piper a glance before going to pick up her phone. The way Alex reacted to seeing the caller peaked Piper's attention. She seemed surprised. Alex picked the call and walked outside in the balcony to talk leaving Piper to her own thoughts.

Piper considered the risk of telling Alex everything now. Alex would be angry. Oh, she would be furious but it wil spare her the heartbreak. But what if she questions the integrity of Piper's love. How much would she believe in Piper's intentions for the near future. Piper was dragged out of her thoughts when Alex came back into the room.

She looked devastated. Like someone had taken out all the life from her eyes. Piper instinctively walked towards her. Eyes curious and hands reaching to give comfort.

"Al..."

"My aunt called..." Alex said in a small voice. "She said Diane had a heart attack?" Alex looked at Piper like she was asking permission to go on, to make it real, to be weak. "She said, they are taking her to a hospital in the city. She is in intensive care right now and that she might not make it out." A tear rolled down on Alex's cheek.

"Oh, Alex." Piper wiped away her tears and hugged her tightly. Reassuring her that everything will be okay. That Diane will be okay. Piper, herself couldn't shake off the picture of Diane laughing at some rediculous joke last time they were there on Christmas.

"I have to go." Alex pulled away from Piper's embrace. "To New York." She moved fast to the cupboard and the drawers. "See if you can find two seats on the next plane. Any seat will do. We-"

"Alex, I can't go with you." Piper sates. Alex stood dead in her tracks beside the cupboard and Piper is just standing in the middle of the room looking down.

"What do you mea-" Alex stops. "Oh, right. You have to be with Kubra-"

"No. That's not-" Piper interrupted.

"The hotel lobby called while you were in the shower. They conformed your ticket to New York. Conveniently just before Kubra's flight. And your getaway bag, the one you're prepared is right where you left it." Alex said coldly like she didn't give a fuck anymore.

"Alex. You have to listen to me-" Piper tried one last time as Alex resumed her packing.

"Can you just fuck off already?" Alex shouted at her.

"No, I am not ready to give up yet." Piper said calmly. "I cannot tell you the truth. But trust me, I did not cheat on you. I love you and I will aways love you."

Alex glared at her.

"Pack your shit and go." Alex said through gritted teeth. "Get the fuck out of my sight. Please."

Piper solemnly nodded and picked up her already packed bag while Alex just stood there. Tears gathering up in the corners of her eyes but she's not letting them fall and the struggle is visible through the tightness of her jaw. Piper wants to kiss it away but she knows she doesn't deserve it. So, she stopped at the door of their hotel room and took a last glance at Alex.

_I am sorry I am always headed in the wrong direction, sorry my life is one long stretch of running and you were something beautiful on the way. I am sorry love goes like a thunderclap over an empty house. I'm sorry about how cruel I was without trying to be._


	10. Too Good At Goodbyes

At Charles de Gauelle, waiting for her flight, Piper had a lot of time on her hand to think which, to be honest, was a punishment. She couldn't even dare to cry right now. It was her fault. She deserved it. The pain, it was a punishment for ruining the best thing that ever happened in her life. But it was bound to happen someday. The truth was bound to come out. In this scenario, at least there's a slim chance that Alex will forgive her one day. When she saves her, she will apologise. She will beg her if it comes to that but she will try her hardest.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She sniffled. The timing had to be such a bitch. Diane fighting there for life and she can't even help Alex go through this. God, what Alex must be feeling now. All because of her.

Suddenly, the air in the waiting room is too thick. The people too loud. And Piper couldn't breath or think. It's just Alex and how cruel she had been with her all this time when Alex had been nothing but honest. All the self loathing turning into little drops of water at the corner of her eyes. She must look awful to the outside world. What would Carol say if she sees her like this? She would probably scold her for being so dramatic.

So, Piper stood up, startling the kid sitting beside her. She dashed for the washroom figuring she could use some peace. She locked the door behind her. She went to the sinks and rolled a bunch of tissue papers together, thin and long enough to be stuffed inside one of the smoke detectors above. She pulled out a small packet of weed and a piece of paper from the inside stitch of her hoodie. The flight was going to be long. And she needed some relaxing.

She laid a piece of paper on the countertop and spread about 1/2 gram of weed evenly on it. With one hand holding the paper, she shaped the joint by moving the cannabis around to where it's distributed across the paper. She pinched the paper between her fingertips and slowly rolled it back and forth. The routine process of rolling a joint brought back some peace to her mind. She promised just one or two drags to get her mind straight, take the edge off. Nothing more.

She jumped up on the countertop and lit the joint with a makeshift lighter from her phone battery. She observed the red slow burning of it before taking a long steady drag. Her muscles instantly relaxed and head felt a bit lighter. The sadness felt a bit heavier on her shoulder. But the guilt got reinforced.

_You don't deserve to love her. You just didn't want to be alone. Or maybe, maybe she was too good for your ego. Or maybe, maybe she made you feel better about your miserable life, but you don't deserve to love her. Because you don't destroy the people you love_.

She rested her head against the mirror, dangled her feet beneath her and crushed the butt of her joint against the Persian marbel. She put the battery back in her phone, humming. She tried to recall any number that she could call at this moment. First it was Diane, which absolutely was not possible. Then came Cal, her brother. Maybe she could call him. But what if he's asleep. It's 6 o'clock here. Thinking it was worth a try, she dialed his number.

He picked up the call after two rings.

"Cal Chapman speaking..." his voice as cheerful as ever.

"Hey Cal, it's me." Piper said, smiling.

"Pipes? It's so good to hear from you. Wait, I should wake up Neri. She would be thrilled-"

"Wait, who's Neri?"

"She's my girlfriend."

"No offence but you have a girlfriend?"

"Hard to believe, I know. I couldn't believe either. She proposed at a pot smoking party at Shi's. She's great and she makes world's best pot brownies. You should come by sometime."

"Yeah, I would... I would like that."

"Yeah, she thinks you are cool. I told her you're a spy and all that. How's everything going in your spy life?"

"Not great. I fucked up." Piper said.

"Spilled coffee on boss kinda fuck up or America under attack kinda fuck up?"

"Neither." Piper replied. "I... ruined the best thing that ever happened to me. My girlfriend...I, she-"

"No offence, but you have a girlfriend?" Cal said mockingly.

"None taken. And yes, I had a girlfriend whom I love but I made a mistake. A huge fucking mistake. And I don't think she will forgive me."

"Hold on, hold on." Cal said. "Where are you right now?"

"In a washroom at an airport, smoking a joint." Piper laughed self deprecatingly.

"Pipes, do you remember what Dad used to do after fights with mum?"

"Yeah... he used to go away for long, long times for medical conferences or whatever. Why?"

"And do you remember, what that would do to Carol?"

Piper sighed. She had no idea why Cal was digging up the old corpses.

"I don't know... alcohol, glass after glass. Is there a point to all this?"

"Yes, you see, we all learned pretty fucked up things from our parents. Like for example, I always find escape in pot. And you, what do you do?"

"I...I," Piper sighed. "I run away. Like dad. Cal-"

"Yes. And as you can see, that fucking hurts. We should always settle our fights and not leave them in fear of confrontation."

"What if I didn't have a choice? What if running was the only option?"

"Then you tell the other person that they are not the reason you ran. That you ran because you had no choice. Think about that person, you ran away but they are there, probably blaming themselves. You get what I am saying?"

"Yeah." Piper released a ragged breath. "It's just, I have always been so good at being alone-"

"But how good at being alone do you really want to be? Isn't there a danger that you'll get so good at being alone, so set in your ways, that you'll miss out on the chance to be with somebody great?"

Piper let his words reciprocate within her for a few seconds. Piper never thought she would be taking relationship advice from Cal but he definitely knew what he was doing.

"Pipes, you there?"

"Yeah, Yeah... I am here. Have you been talking to a therapist Cal?" Piper joked.

Cal laughed before replying. "No, it's just Neri. She gives me these awesome books about self discovery. I read them when I get stoned off my ass. Maybe, that's why they seem so awesome, I don't know. She makes me a better person. She's always saying these things like ABC. Always be closing. Finish what you start. You know that kind stuff."

"Yeah. I am really glad for you."

"You should come by with your girlfriend, sometimes." He suggested.

"Maybe I will." Piper smiled at the prospect of having lunch together with Alex and Cal. "I have to go now. Take care, Cal."

"Will do, sis. Call anytime for relationship advice." Cal chuckled happily and hung up.

Piper cleaned up everything. She got back on her feet and called Alex. The call went straight to voicemail after ringing twice. Piper paced the washroom before sitting again on the counter. She exhaled softly and called Alex again.

———-

Thanks for being kind in the reviews. I really appreciate the support.

This is short one. The next chapter is from Alex's POV. Hope you enjoyed it :)


	11. Take Me To Church

The first time Alex saw Piper, she felt a connection like never before. So much, that she didn't even wait for Piper to conform certain aspects of her WASPy upbringing. She just rushed in, interrupted, too anxious that someone else will get to her first. Alex recalled thinking that she could spend her entire day knowing every millimetre of her body.

It wasn't love at first sight. She was curious at first. The love came after. Her quirks and habits, the way they fit together, their banters and late night talks on literature and politics. Oh, it was so easy to love Piper. Because Piper was always there, always so attentive as if hanging to her each word. She felt so loved that it would overwhelm her sometimes. The way Piper cares for her, whatever she needed. She felt understood. Piper took her time knowing her, her not-so-ordinary lifestyle and yet accepted her, loved her. Or so she thought.

Some moments with Piper were odd. She brushed them off beneath the good ones. Piper would look at her with so much longing even when they were on the same bed, her eyes would turn to a deeper shade of blue and she would kiss Alex as if it was for the last time. Sometimes, Piper would close her eyes, like it hurt to look. Alex never asked why those moments felt like Piper was hiding something. Because she always thought it was a fault on her side. Her insecurities and fears that one day Piper will wake up and realise that she shouldn't be here. That one day she will leave her. That Piper didn't love her as much as she did. And now the worst of her nightmares proved to be true.

Afraid that Piper will leave her eventually, she told her to fuck off. And now she's the one to blame for losing probably the best thing in her life. Only if she could call Diane and ask… Nature has cunning way of hitting your weakest spot when you least expect it.

After Piper had left giving one last glance, Alex had been frozen in place. She cried for a while but stopped when it seemed useless. How the fuck did she managed to lose two of the most important people in her life in one day? When the pain became unbearable, she opened the secret little drawer on the back of the bathroom mirror. She had promised Piper that she would never open this. But now that Piper is gone, who gives a fuck anymore, right?

You know the feeling when you met someone, they fill this hole inside of you… and when they are gone you feel that place painfully vacant, Alex has that hole inside of her now. And that drawer contains a relief from that pain. At least a temporary one. Heroine.

Alex emptied the contents of the drawer on the floor of the bedroom and sat resting her back on the footboard. She dangled the small packet of white powder in front of her eyes. There was still some time left for the flight. She set an injection needle, a spoon, a lighter and a rubber tube in front of her. She has done this before with Fahri. In controlled amounts. Just for fun. She was not one of those junkies who couldn't get enough. She always thought she was better than them. _Better than her addict piece of shit father._

But she is not.

Loving and being loved by Piper had been a high. A long lasting high. Just like they say, you only know you've been high when you're feeling low. So, Alex craves a new drug, to get rid of this low, she needs a high. A fucking dose of heroine.

Her thoughts got interrupted by the ringing of her phone. The screen read, Piper. Alex stared at it for a while and pressed the reject button. As much as her heart wanted to give in and talk to Piper she resisted. It's an awful feeling to love someone so much that you absolutely hate them for leaving you.

She picked up the rubber cord and tied it on her upper arm tightly.

A voicemail notification popped up on her lock screen. She ignored it. Or tried to. She pressed the play button with her other hand.

It's a few moments of silence before Piper spoke.

"Hey, it's me." Her voice was shaky, unsure. Alex worried if she was in any kind of trouble. "I am at the airport and-" Piper sighed.

Alex traced the veins on her arm.

"Al, I want you to know that what happened was not your fault. It's not on you. It's me. You were honest and good and I -I…" Piper paused. "Okay. There are somethings that I kept secret. But I need you to understand that it has nothing to do with you. I led a fucked up life. And it's my fault. And I know you think that I betrayed you, then yes I did but not in the way that you think. I did not cheat on you. Alex, I could never do that. You're the love of my life. I love you so much that it's insane. Al, don't do anything stupid. Diane needs you. I'll tell you everything when the time is right. I promise." She continued. "Alex, I just need you to know that I love you. That no matter what happens I will always love you. Goodbye."

By the time the message ended, Alex had untied the rubber cord from her arm and thrown the injection away. Tears were streaming down her eyes. Uncontrollable and pathetic. She decided that she will stop fucking crying and pack her bag. Go to New York. Make sure her Mom is okay and then maybe get back to Piper. But she wished Piper was here despite everything. That she was here to hold her. To help her get through with this.

But she isn't here.

So, Alex got up and wiped away the remnants of her tears. She flushed away the drugs and threw away the other things out of the fucking balcony. She took a moment to watch Paris having a wonderful morning outside like everything was normal and nothing had changed. But then again, that was the thing about heartbreaks. For her it was the end of the world, for the world it was just another cliche.

————————————

Alex tried to reach her aunt a number of times at the airport and then after landing. Turned out, she had admitted Diane to a City hospital and left. Alex was the emergency contact. Alex was furious at that but there was nothing she could do. Alex was the only one Diane had.

Being back in New York was nostalgic. She always enjoyed the trip back home. Diane waiting for her with her favourite dishes at home. But not today. Today, she is probably lying on a hospital bed breathing through machines. Alex processed out quickly with just a duffle bag in tow.

Alex sat in silence as the taxi slithered in traffic from JFK International Airport to a hotel in Brooklyn that she had booked due to its distance closeness to the hospital. Alex wanted to be as close as possible.

Suddenly, the taxi came to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"Some kind of roadblock ahead. It'll take some time."

"Okay. It's just a few blocks from here, anyway." Alex said opening the door. "I'll walk. Here." Alex paid the taxi driver got out. She could use a walk.

She was at the receptionist's desk in less than 10 minutes. She checked in pretty quickly. She got upstairs, took a quick shower to clean up a bit and changed into a pair of jeans and a casual white t-shirt. She took her wallet and mobile with her and left the rest of her stuff in the room.

Soon, she was on the streets walking her way to the hospital. The traffic and busy noises started a slow growing headache at the front of her head but it was bearable enough. She was expecting a headache sooner or later anyway.

What she was not expecting was an explosion. An earth shattering sound of collapse. And then fire. Alex stopped in her tracks and so did hundreds of passerby around her. The traffic stopped dead in its tracks. Suddenly everyone was getting out. Gaping at the huge ball of smoke, approximately two miles from where Alex was standing.

For the first few seconds, Alex was frozen. She was seeing it happen. The explosion. But at the same time her brain was detached. Like she was watching it on tv. But soon enough, her senses returned and the panic began. Diane. The blast happened in the direction of the hospital.

Alex started walking. Fast. Police sirens flew past her. Ambulances too. Alex couldn't care less about the people bumping into her. People had their phones out. Some clicking pictures, taking videos, some calling loved ones out of panic. Some people were running away in the opposite direction. A fucking chaos.

Alex made a mental note to call Piper as soon as she makes sure that her mum is okay. The way to the hospital seemed too far as the streets were crowded with panicked people and cars bumping into each other. Even after fifteen minutes of walking, Alex had just covered a few blocks. She used every shortcut she could remember and still it was half a mile away from there. She could see the smoke getting thicker and the increasing sound of sirens from ambulances, fire brigades and police cars.

"They have a suspect." She heard a teenager talking when she was waiting for the red light to turn green as the fire brigades raced towards the smokes. The girl was staring at her phone screen. Alex took out her own phone and quickly refreshed her news feed.

The news site was filled with updates on the recent terrorist attack on New York City. A bomb had been detonated in a children's hospital were the Vice-President was visiting. There were zero survivors so far. Alex felt goosebumps rising on the back of her as she scrolled down and clicked for the next page.

And holy fucking shit.

A picture of her was staring back at from her phone screen. She was the suspect? The article said that the FBI has confirmed that she had affiliation with terrorist organisations working against America. She even had a huge reward on her head.

Alex almost dropped her phone on the sidewalk. She blinked a few times to get into the right state of mind. The red light had turned green and people were bumping into her shoulder. She turned right back to the way from where she had come.

Soon, her picture will be on every channel and every news site. It's a miracle nobody has recognised her yet given how she has been walking. She kept her head down and hair in front as a meek attempt to disguise herself.

She couldn't go back to the hotel. No. Too many police cars were waltzing into the streets as cops got out to handle the crowd. Alex turned to a back alley and walked in the sheds of different stores. God, she needed a place to hide. Somewhere. Till she figures out what to do.

She took turns whenever a cop walked her way. It's a good thing she had had practice in avoiding authorities. Blending in crowds when needed. Most of the stores on the street started closing. Everyone wanted to leave and be with their family. But it also meant that she has no place to hide.

She turned south and saw a cop walking towards her so she turned around again and not so subtly. That definitely raised signs in the cop's head.

"Hey, miss-" the cop shouts. He looked young and maybe just maybe Alex could shake him off.

Alex walked fast aiming for the public library a few meters away. She could feel that the cop was still following her. A hand on his holster and another reaching for her. But she did not look back. She took long strides and entered the library. She was familiar with the place as she had been there before with Piper. Fuck, Piper. She needed to call her as soon as possible.

She ran to the stairs at the far right corner, leading to the basement. She kept an eye out for the cop as he walked in and took a glance everywhere. The library was almost vacant. He walked a few steps but his radio turned on and an order to be back was barked through it. He obeyed the order and retrieved his steps out of the library.

Alex released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She walked further into the basement to the old newspaper section. A dark and dingy room filled with years old newspapers and inches of dirt (last time she was here, she was eating Piper out on top of those stacks). She walked to the farthest corner and slid down. Her back to the wall and knees up close. She felt like it was a dream. A very realistic nightmare.

She took out her phone and visited the site again. There was new information. About her.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The hospital, her mother was in, had taken some damage but not that much. The children's hospital was the target of the bombing. The Vice-President was already dead along with his wife and security personnel. The most recent death toll estimated 56 lives lost. People were devastated. A tragic loss. And all the blame was being put upon her. Alex Vause. Allegedly the most dangerous terrorist in the world as of this moment.

Landed on JFK international hours before the bombing… alleged affiliations to terrorist organisations… seen in Brooklyn minutes before the bombing… eyewitnesses claim her walking away from the scene after authorities showed up… a history of connections with drug cartels…checked into a hotel room in Brooklyn few miles away from the Children's hospital… possibly armed and dangerous… do not approach

Alex couldn't believe what she was reading. It was all a lie. A fucking lie. It was not her. But all of America seemed to be thinking that it was her. Someone was framing her. Or she was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Her fingers were shaking when she called a familiar number. Her last hope. Her last strand of sanity.

The phone went straight to voicemail. Alex was disappointed but she did not really have a chance. She had to tell someone. Not someone. Piper, specifically.

"Hey, Pipes." Alex said. "It's me. Pipes, I really have no fucking idea what is happening. I was on my to see mum and then the explosion happened. Pipes, I am not involved in this." It sounded like she was begging. "Pipes, I need you to know that I didn't do it. I am not what they are making me. You know that, right? I need you to believe me. I would die rather than killing people. And I have no fucking idea how to handle this or how much longer I have as a free woman. Pipes, I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. I hope you love me too. Good bye." She finished and hung up.

She laid her head back on the wall. For the first time in her life, she prayed to God that she comes out of this innocent. She couldn't live with being a convicted killer of hundreds of children. She doesn't want to accept this reality. This truth. Because just when she thought life couldn't fuck her over anymore, it did.

**—————————**

Thank you for all the reviews. It has been wonderful writing for you guys. The next chapter will probably be the end of Part 1. The story will be getting thicker and a bit more into action.

Hope you enjoyed this one. See you in the next chapter. Happy reading!


	12. Fox On The Run

Kubra's flight was going to land three hours after Piper's. She had went straight to her brownstone after getting out of JFK international. Her old house. A Brooklyn brownstone gifted by her grandmother. She hadn't lived there much. It was where she always came back to after finishing missions.

She took a quick shower and got into her work clothes. The standard cop ones. A white shirt (with bulletproof vest underneath) tucked neatly into dark grey trousers along with a grey herringbone blazer. She tied her hair in a clean ponytail and packed a bag with surveillance gear. Mostly, binoculars, signal blockers, camera loopers that kind of stuff.

She placed the bag in the front seat of her Mythos black Audi A3 and drove towards the airport once again. She would have to follow Kubra from the moment he lands here.

She parked her car in the parking lot overlooking the arrivals gate and settled in with a cheese burger she had gotten while getting here. Kubra was expected to be here in less than an hour. She made a mental note to call Alex once again whenever she gets time.

She ate the burger in total bliss with some melancholic song playing on the radio in the background. The cheese burger tasted like heaven. She wondered how she survived this long without one. If Alex were here, she would have devoured it too.

Her eyes stayed glued to the arrivals. And as expected, Kubra showed up right on time. Strangely, Piper noticed, he wore a fedora hat and black sunglasses and had two never seen before bodyguards at his sides. Thinking that it probably was a disguise of some kind, she waited till his Limo was at least half a mile away.

She slowly but steadily drove behind him through NY traffic. His limo was headed to Upper East Manhattan. It was hard to follow from such a distance but she couldn't risk getting caught. It was better to play safe.

Her phone vibrated on the dashboard of her car. She was losing the limo as the streets started getting more clustered and limo seemed to be moving a bit recklessly. She ignored the first call and the next. She was too focused on the back of the limo but it disappeared when she rounded a corner.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Piper muttered under her breath as she pulled over on the side of the road and got out to look in the distance. His car was nowhere in sight. She lost him. Fuck.

Her phone vibrated again and she picked up this time.

"Yes?" She nearly yelled out in frustration.

"Agent Chapman, are you in fucking New York right now?" It was Caputo. His voice was seething with anger.

"Yes-"

"For the love of God! What the fuck are you doing in New York? Did it ever fucking occurred to you to inform the agency of your whereabouts?"

"It had to be a quick decision. I didn't have the time-"

"Oh! For fuck's sake! Your plane landed like five hours ago. What the fuck have you been doing, Chapman?"

"I was busy-"

"You know what? I don't fucking care. I need you get your ass back to the office. Right. Now."

"Caputo, I can't."

"Was I unclear? Get your ass here as soon as possible or I will drag you here and fire you for insubordination. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I do." Piper replied through gritted teeth and hung up. _Such an asshole_.

————————————

The field office in New York was bustling with activity when Piper stepped in. She met the staff waiting for her at the entrance. He led her through the chaos to the elevators where she was instructed to go to that floor.

She followed the instruction and went to the conference office where they had had their first briefing about the mission which literally changed her life. She looked through the glass to see Caputo talking animatedly to Agent Benett. She entered the room thinking that he might forget about her if she became stealthy enough. But no.

As soon as she walked in Larry piped up like a childhood friend.

"Piper! You're back."

Caputo turned to her so fast that Piper didn't even had the time to blink. His face, an angry shade of red.

"Finally, Agent Chapman has graced us with her presence? Now, please explain why the fuck are you here? Who the hell gave you the orders to abandon your mission?" Caputo hissed with his arms folded in front of him. All eyes in the room trained on her.

"With all due respect, sir, I didn't abandon the mission." Piper retorted solemnly. "I am here because Alex Vause told me to fuck off."

Caputo chewed back whatever he was going to say next. Natalie Figueroa stood up with sudden curiosity.

"She dumped you?"

"Yes, mam. She believes I have been having affairs with Agent Carlin." Piper nodded towards Stella.

Stella Carlin dropped the tab that she was holding. Surprised by hearing her name, she sputtered out,

"Me?"

"Agent Carlin?" Joe repeated.

"Yes, Kubra Balik had pictures of us having a nice little chat in an outside cafe in London. He was doing a background check. Apparently, Carlin was bragging about having fucked me."

"No, it wasn't about you. I was no-" Stella tried to explain but Caputo stopped her.

"Even if that's the reason why didn't you inform me?" He demanded.

"I had another lead I was following."

"What lead?" Figueroa inquired.

"A possibility of an attack in New York." She had to give them something.

Caputo and the team uttered curses under their breath and took a moment to regain their composure. They all seemed equally shocked. Piper glanced at every face but couldn't figure out which one was faking it.

Fig was the first one to break the air of uncertainty. She started very calmly,

"We have to inform Homeland and the FBI. Monitor the airports, railway stations. The VP is in the city as well." She turned to Piper. "I need you to take a break. Then come back here to tell us everything that you know. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'm."

Piper exited to go to the ladies' room with Poussey on her heels. She nodded sideways in acknowledgment and entered the washroom, locking it as soon as Poussey was inside.

"I couldn't find them." Poussey declared gloomly. "I am not even sure they exist, in our team. I can't say the same about Figueroa. I don't have access to her."

Piper nodded in the mirror upfront.

"I have no idea what to do, anymore." Piper's eyes dropped to the floor. "I was following Kubra. But I lost him, somewhere near Manhattan. And Alex-" She chuckled. "She still thinks I cheated on her with Kubra. I am sorry, I just needed to say it out loud." Piper stopped when she saw Poussey getting a bit distracted on her phone.

"Yeah. No big deal. But I gotta go, they need me back in the pit. Something happened. They need me." Poussey went out with an apologetic smile. Piper washed her face and took a few more minutes to get out.

The commotion on the outside startled Piper. Agents were scurrying around the floor with phones in hand. She walked quickly to their designated conference room.

Everyone's eyes in that conference room was glued to the television screen broadcasting a building on fire in Brooklyn. The attack that she was here to warn about had happened already. She looked at her wrist watch. Alex's flight must have landed two or three hours ago.

Figueroa quickly scampered outside with the phone stuck to her ear. Probably the higher ups are asking for intervention. Caputo too seemed to get back his gears too as started barking orders immediately.

"Alright people, a bomb has been detonated on American soil, let alone in a children's hospital. We do not let the people responsible for this get away. We catch them. And we avenge those who have fallen." Caputo growled. "Carlin, Benett, I need you on the ground with FBI and DHS. We need to know what they know and more than what they know. Washington and Bloom, shake down every fucking surveillance equipment in that area. I want all eyes and ears on the ground." He finished and turned to Piper.

"Chapman, what do I need to know?"

"It's Kubra Balik. He is in New York. I was following him and then I lost him."

"How did you know about the attacks?"

"Stock market fluctuations. And an overheard conversation."

"So, you are saying Kubra Balik is involved in this?"

"Yes. He's the mastermind behind this. He landed in NY two hours after me." Piper glanced at Larry behind Caputo and said, "Run a search through all the arrivals and you'll find him." Larry nodded and started typing.

"What about Alex Vause?"

"She doesn't know about any of the terrorist operations. I heard Kubra say it. They might try to set her-"

"No Kubra Balik landed in New York in the last 24 hours." Larry spoke up.

"What?!" Piper exclaimed. "That's not possible. I saw him."

"Check again." Caputo added.

Larry shrugged. "Nope. He's not here. At least according to the data we have. But-" he stood up with his computer and placed it in front of Caputo. "I found someone else."

"Who?" Piper and Caputo said in unison.

"Alex Vause." Larry grinned with all his teeth. Piper wanted to knock them all out. Just what she needed.

Caputo glared at the computer screen which showed complete details of Alex's ticket and her moving around in the airport and getting into a taxi. He gripped the edges of the table.

"She got out of the airport. Took a taxi. Guess where she was going?" Larry prompted. "Brooklyn. Few miles from the blast site.

"Washington, what the footage around the blast site say?" Caputo demanded.

"On it boss."

"Chapman, what is this?" Caputo asked Piper again.

Piper could tell them about Diane being sick but at the same time, she couldn't. Alex always shielded Diane from the cartel business. They didn't know about her, she didn't know about them. Even Kubra with all his thorough searches assumed Alex was an orphan. It was her way of protecting Diane from the dangers of her job. Piper assumed the same role after getting to know Diane. She didn't lie. But she never told the agency anything about her either. She never even mentioned her name.

Caputo took Piper's silence as an affirmation to the accusations being put on Alex.

"Washington?"

"We've got video footage that places Vause in Brooklyn. She got out of her cab and walked a few minutes with a bag in hand to this hotel and checked in. She gets out half an hour later and walks towards the blast site."

"Bloom, what is the bomb report saying?" He inquired.

"It's too early to say anything surely but Homeland says the bomb was placed their beforehand and then demoted remotely from a safer distance within range. They are not sure about the range yet, sir."

"So we've-"

Fig barged into the room, stopping Caputo from whatever he was going to say.

"I have the director on the line right now and guess what, we are the only unit who had any information about the attack. I have to go to the Capitol and brief the President in three hours with the director. I need a name and a location and a plan of attack. Now." Fig demanded.

Before Piper could say anything, Larry spoke up again with a smug look on his face.

"The name is Alex Vause. And we will have the location when she comes out of whatever hole she's hiding in."

"Alex Vause? How much evidence do we have against her?"

"Enough to put her name on the report. She was around the area when the blast occurred." Caputo replied.

"Strangely, the surveillance footage after the attack is not recorded. This could've been done by an insider to remove any evidence. But we have got the recordings before the attack showing Alex Vause walking towards the location." Poussey said.

Fig nodded taking in all the information.

Piper's phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Good work team-" Fig started but soon got cut off by an enthusiastic Larry standing up with his tab.

"Wait a sec. I think we have a location on her. She's using her cellphone. Just five seconds."

Everyone stared at his tab screen as the milliseconds decreased. But Piper took the phone out of her pocket and it was indeed Alex's voicemail. _Fuck_.

"Yes!" Caputo held his fist in the air. "We've got her. In the fucking library."

"Good job, Bloom." Fig praised. "I am going to inform the director. Caputo, prepare a response team. Get FBI and Homeland on the line. Tell NYPD to roadblock the area. But don't share too much. This is the agency's win. We take control after we arrest Vause. Let's prepare a response team. Chapman, I want a full profile on Vause."

"What about Kubra Balik?" Piper asked.

"We will worry about Kubra Balik after we get Vause. Only she can connect him to the bombing. Otherwise, his name has no business getting involved."

"Yeah. If only you could keep her alive." Piper muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Fig raises an eyebrow.

"Nothing, mam." Piper answered. "I'll do what needs to be done."

"Good." Fig said. "Caputo, you're with me. We have to inform the Capitol before we go all in."

They exited together, leaving Piper, Larry and Poussey in the room. Piper dashed to Larry as soon as they went out of earshot.

"Hey, Larry." She said sweetly. "What's the exact location of Vause?"

Larry, too astonished that Piper is talking to him, blurred out the exact address on 6th avenue while Piper and Poussey were in a staring match. Poussey figures out what Piper was thinking and tried to stop her. But it was useless. Piper was too determined to care about what anyone else said.

"Thank you." Piper said and darted for the door. Larry couldn't comprehend what just happened. But Poussey stood up.

"Chapman. Are you-"

"The less you know the better, Washington."

————————

I apologise for the late update. I had to change a couple of things which took some time. Good news is that there will be another chapter. So, next chapter will be the end of Part 1.

Thank you for all the reviews and likes so far. You guys have no idea how much you inspire me to write this story. This exists because of you guys.

And lastly, I have a question.

How do I reply to comments? I skimmed through the website but couldn't find an option. I always read all the comments but couldn't find a way to respond or to answer questions. So, let me know if you guys know how to.

Happy reading :)


	13. Secret Agent Man

In an apartment in upper east Manhattan overlooking the entirety of the lavish neighbourhood, Kubra Balik held a glass of champagne that he had saved for special occasions only. Some Vogue model, he didn't even bothered to know the name of, was splayed across his king size bed. He has had a nice night.

The sirens that ran across the city were music to his ears. He had been waiting for this day for so long. The plan had been carried out smoothly. Not a hitch. Except maybe some of his employees getting arrested. But he needed to get rid of them anyway. The police just made his work easier. Soon, he'll have a new life. Life of power and respect and freedom. All crimes erased from his biodata. A clean slate.

Just one more step to be taken care of and he will be free. That being the death of Alex Vause.

Alex Vause has been a loyal servant. He was sure that she wouldn't mind serving him one last time. She'll be crucified for his sins. He was sacrificing one for the many.

He placed the champagne glass back on the table and called one of his loyal little pawns. Aydin. He was expecting good news. Alex Vause in custody of French Police, arrested for being found with evidence connecting to the American bombing. A written and video confession from her to be incriminating enough and then a murder in the jail cell carried out by Aydin to look like a good old suicide. And that would close all the loose ends for Kubra's brand new life.

Aydin picked up instantly.

"Alex Vause is no more in Paris." Aydin went straight to the point. He had a habit of ripping off bandages which Kubra appreciated but not at this moment.

"What?" Kubra spat out angrily. "How the fuck did that happen?"

"Her hotel record says she checked out hours ago. Took a taxi to the airport." Aydin responded. "She is in New York."

"That fucking bitch. Do you think she knows about the...?"

"No, I don't think so. Her girlfriend left her. That's probably why she went after her to New York."

That was a result of his own actions then. An impulsive decision to get the girl. It was a kick to his pride when Piper left him, rejected him. He had to teach her a lesson. Of course, he had assumed that Piper would come running back to him wanting explanation but sadly, she hadn't. Kubra brushed it off since he had more important things to deal with.

"Is she going to be a problem?" Kubra inquired.

"No sir, the messenger reached out. He says they have a location on her and they will take her out. I send one of my men to confirm. She is indeed in there. He is on standby now. When the authorities drag her out, he is ordered to finish her up."

"Good. Very good. Make sure that she is taken care of. I don't want any loose ends."

"I'll get it done, sir."

Kubra hung up with a sigh. This was taking more time than he had anticipated. He poured another glass and sipped slowly as the sun shone atop of the skyscrapers.

—

NYPD was already barricading the area when Piper

arrived near the location Larry had given her. It seemed like they didn't know why they were doing it. The agency must have kept the information to itself to gain due credit. It worked in Piper's favour anyhow.

She turned on her WASPy persona and got past the barricading with a lame excuse without getting out of the car. She pulled over behind the library and assessed the location. There were some police officers near the library but nothing too surprising or too difficult for Piper. She parked the car behind the library for a quick getaway and pulled her gun out. She held her Sig Sauer P226 in front of her and attached a suppressor in front of the barrel, ready to shoot whoever comes in the way.

As far as she knew about the CIA, the combat team will be here in less than twenty minutes ready to take out Alex. She has to hurry. She walked up to the entrance of the back alley. It was dark and mostly clustered with trash cans and a fire staircase. She turned the corner.

A loud screeching noise cut the air just a few degrees on her left. A gunshot. She ducked behind a dustbin as another shot was fired. It's not the government. Then it must be Kubra's man. He wants to trap her till authorities get here. _Son of a bitch. _

Piper took a deep breath. The gunshot came from above then it must be a sniper. A sniper shooter on a roof. She peeked out to check the roofs. Another gunshot sliced through the air, missing her by inches. But she was fast enough to see the shooter on the roof of the public school in black combat gear. She could shoot him if she gets close enough. But she has to choose her fights wisely. She would rather flight than fight this shooter. Besides, from his vantage point, he couldn't shoot if she moved fast enough to the backdoor which was only a few meters ahead.

She ducked her head and scurried to the door in zigzag pattern. A few more shots rang through the air but nothing hit her. She was inside the library in less than a minute. She leaned on the closed door to catch her breath. Now, Alex.

The library was empty. It seemed like they had evacuated or everyone left after the attack. She had been here with Alex before so she instinctively went towards the newspaper section downstairs. She kept her pace slow and deliberate as not to scare Alex if she was here.

Alex, on the other hand, has been pacing the room since she had left that voicemail. She had destroyed her phone after the call. And now, locked in a fucking library, she had no idea what to do. She slid her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to calm herself down. _Footsteps_. Alex's head snapped towards the locked door.

The footsteps were quite. She wouldn't have heard them if she wasn't listening for them. She had to think fast. This could be anyone. But the quietness did not seem like it's the police. It seemed more like Kubra has sent a hit man to finish her off before she opens her mouth to the authorities.

She took out the head of the mop that she had spotted earlier and held the handle in one hand. It was long and strong enough to hit someone. She gripped it with both hands and waited for the door to open. If she is to die here today, at least she will die fighting.

The door opens slightly at first. A push from the shoulder. Alex stopped breathing as the figure entered, a gun held close to chest and muzzle pointed out front. Alex aimed for the gun. She hit Piper's wrist with the handle. Catching her off guard as the gun flew away to the racks. But Piper recovered quickly as she dodged another strike from Alex and grabbed the front of the handle. She twisted the handle causing Alex to lose the grip. The figure is fast and trained. She throws away the handle and closes in on Alex. Alex throws in a punch but it hits nothing.

Piper grabs Alex's wrist and twists it behind her back. She needed Alex to calm down without hurting herself. Alex grunted.

"Al-" Alex elbowed Piper in the stomach before she could get a word out. Piper hit Alex in the back of her knee. Alex bent down gasping in pain. Leaving Alex, Piper reached for her gun. Alex got on her feet despite the pain. She launched herself on Piper from behind. Piper, gun already in hand, propelled backwards causing Alex to hit the wall. Alex screamed in pain. Piper twisted her arm behind her, holding them in place with her left hand and placed the muzzle of her gun under her chin. She trapped Alex by pushing her to the wall with her own body.

Their breath coming in short as shoulders heaved with each inhale. Alex's eyes were still unfocused. Fighting. Resisting Piper's grip on her wrists. Probably due to the adrenaline.

"Alex. Stop. Fighting." Piper said loud and clear. "It's me. I am not here to hurt you."

Alex seemed to gain some sense back as she stopped resisting and her eyes appeared to focus in on Piper's face. She slowed her breathing and a weak smile formed in the corners of her lips. Piper removed the gun from under her chin.

Piper swallowed a lump in her throat. Seeing Alex alive and unharmed and smiling made her so happy. She didn't want to lose this moment. But she has to tell her now. Alex will figure it out on her own anyway. It's better if Piper tells her.

"I thought I would never see you again." Alex whispered close to her ears.

Piper went in for Alex's lips. Capturing them in her own. Although, it was relatively dark, the little amount of light coming from the open door gave Alex an angel like glow. And Piper couldn't resist. She nipped and pecked on Alex's lips, releasing her hold on Alex to grab her by the waist. Alex coprated with pushing even closer for more contact. Piper could kiss Alex all day like this but it isn't the right time nor is it fair of her to take the last moments of Alex so selfishly and hungrily when the future is so uncertain, when Alex doesn't know the truth.

So, Piper pulled back, in the middle of the kiss. Back and fast enough that Alex's hands were hanging in the air expectantly where Piper should be. Alex gave a slight eyebrow raise. Asking what was wrong. Piper shook her head.

"Alex." Piper's voice was low and gentle as Alex leaned in attentively. "I work for the CIA. I am a CIA special agent."

—

**END OF PART ONE**

**—**

Finally!

This is the end of Part 1. Part 2 will be posted on the Monday after OINTB S7 i.e. on 28/07. I am hoping that you guys will stick till then. I just need the time to finish up some chapters so that the updates could be consistent.

Here's what could be expected from Part 2 :

\- Some OITNB characters *_whispers* Nicky_

_\- _Joe/Natalie

\- A road trip (may be)

\- Hiding from the *law*

\- Some good old prison time

\- Alex and Piper being total fucking idiots in love

Hope you guys enjoyed Part one and will stick to this story a little bit longer. Let me know in the comments what you think so far and leave a like if you wish;)

Let's wish we get a happy Vauseman ending in season seven (less than two weeks! Yay!) otherwise you'll get one here. Promise.

Peace out. See you after season seven.


	14. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

**— Part 2 —**

**1**

"Alex." Piper's voice was low and gentle as Alex leaned in attentively. "I work for the CIA. I am a CIA special agent."

Alex laughed. A hoarse sound that she tried to cover with the back of her hand. She laughed like Piper had made the best joke ever. A storyline from some Hollywood movie. Fucking hilarious.

"A convicted terrorist and a spy." Alex sighed dreamily. "That is a fun role play. Cliche but fun. Thi-"

_Unbelievable. _

"Alex." Piper interrupted. "In ten minutes, CIA combat units and Special Ops team will barge in with M16s, the sky will be covered with military helicopters and the whole nation will be watching your arrest on live television only to get murmured in a jail cell. Now, if you want to get out of here alive, you do what I say, when I say."

Piper didn't wait for a reply and got out of the room and into the hallway leading to the main floor of the library. From a corner window on the main floor, she took a quick glance at the street out front. The police officers patrolling the area had increased in number but still casual.

"We need a distraction." Piper said to herself.

Alex had unquestioningly followed her out. They both looked around for something to distract the officers outside.

"Fire." Piper said. "Let's burn some things."

"Piper, we are not gonna burn books just to fucking survive. I'm not okay with that." Alex replied offensively.

"Fine. Newspapers? How about the newspaper section downstairs? It has a vent opening out in the front. Some smoke and fire will probably be the centre of attraction. Maybe they will call the fire brigade, delaying the operation even further."

Piper dashed for the basement. Alex followed with an amused look. This Piper was different than the one she has been with so far. Different in a good way. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't turned on by this sexy agent look that Piper was owning so far.

"Go open the vent." Piper said to Alex. "Where's your phone?"

"I broke it. In the corner."

Piper took the discarded battery and lit a fire at the corner of an old newspaper stack. It will get enough fuel to cause havoc.

"C'mon. Let's go." Piper said and got out to lock the door after Alex had exited. Alex gave her a questioning look. "What? I don't want to burn books either."

Piper dashed towards the back of the library. They were really really short on time. She stopped short at the door waiting for Alex to catch up.

"Here's how we do it. There's a sniper out there posted on the roof of the -"

A gunshot sound came from the outside, causing both of them to back up. Then another, and another. Piper figured, someone must have tried to come in through the back alley just to be a prey in the sniper's range. But the noises stopped suddenly with a thud. One of them must have gone down. Piper prayed it to be the sniper.

She glanced at Alex and opened the door inch by inch. Outside, leaning on a street lamp was Agent Poussey Washington. Gun in one hand, and the other hand pressing on a wound in lower abdomen.

Poussey's head jerked up alerted by the motion. She raised her gun shakily. Her eyes were threatening to close. She grunted to keep her head straight and gun stretched out, pointed at Piper.

Piper raised her hand above her head. Weapon still in hand. Alex right behind her.

"You shot down the sniper." Piper praised.

"I n-need to tell you something, Chapman." Poussey's breaths were coming in wheezes. Like it aches to stand still.

"It's okay." Piper moves towards her. "You do what you gotta do. But, you need to lie down, you're losing blood."

"The choppers will be here in five minutes. You don't have much time, Chapman."

Piper moved closer to her and took the gun out of her hand with ease. She tucked in her own holster. She held Poussey down to the ground and laid her down in a pool of her own blood.

"Impressive shot you took." Piper checked her wound. "I couldn't have done it myself."

"The fire. It's a great distraction." Poussey said, panting. "I can't let you… the information. I have to tell you…y-you"

"You have done your job. The man you took down was working for Kubra. He was here to make sure that Alex doesn't make it out of here alive. You did a good job. Now rest."

Poussey reluctantly slipped into unconsciousness. Piper sighed and stood up.

"Let's go." She said and led the way to her car, parked right outside of the alley. She got in the driver's seat as Alex got in front. She backed it all the way to the back of the avenue, hitting the barricades out of the way.

As expected, all the units had been called out in front to stop the fire, leaving the checkposts barren. But the crash certainly drew their attention as they charged towards the car with determination to stop. But Piper would be damned if she stops now. She smirked as she backed away again and pressed her foot hard on the accelerator and practically zoomed out of the street.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked after a while.

Piper didn't answer. Her mind was occupied by Poussey. She will get help soon enough. But Piper never thought about the possibility of good people getting hurt. Or what consequences her actions will bring. This was her mess and she didn't mean to drag someone else in it. Like Alex. Poussey. Diane. _Diane. _

"How's Diane? Did you get to see her before…" Piper trailed off.

"Why? Is that information critical to your operation?" Alex mimicked.

"At least, now you acknowledge who I am." Piper muttered under her breath.

Alex scoffed. "Did you give me a choice? Oh, no, wait, you came in guns a-blazing and said you were a spy and then expect me to act normal like it's so much better than letting me think that you fcuking cheated on me. It isn't. It's worse."

Alex scoffed again and turned towards the window when Piper said nothing in return.

"You know what, I don't care what you say anymore given there will be a high possibility of it being another one of your lies."

Piper's knuckles were turning white in the steering wheel. She had to take the long way to her house to avoid cameras. The combat units will be at the spot already. And soon the entire law enforcement department would be looking for her. And with the adrenaline washing out, the stress came back.

Piper pulled over on the street across from her brownstone. The neighborhood was peaceful as usual. In the quiet hours of afternoon, these upperclassmen liked to hang out on private beaches. She glanced over the street, finding it vacant, she said,

"We are here."

"Great." Alex unbuckled her seat belt.

"Get out when I say." Piper said putting a hand over Alex's. Alex retrieved her hand and nodded.

Piper stepped out with the gun still loaded and in position. On the back of the car, she unscrewed her number plate and changed it with another one. The last one had been a fake too. If they track it, they will end up with someone else anyway. She had taken the battery and card out of her phone as a safety precaution anyway. If they were going to be fugitives, she wasn't going to do it in a half-assed way.

"Come on." Piper opened the door for Alex. "Let's go."

2

Poussey Washington had been shot before. In Afghanistan. Two 9 mms in her leg. She had been shot trying to save a kid from a mass shooter in an Afghani school. She had shot the man right in the chest but instead of lying down he had taken a shot on a kid from behind whom she saved. Of course, it earned her a purple star but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt like bitch.

She had been going in and out of consciousness for the past few minutes even though it felt like hours. There was a commotion on the street. Police trying to control the fire. She could already hear the helicopters coming in. But she was bleeding too much too soon. She saw Piper going away but she couldn't get herself to shoot her 'cause somewhere in her somewhere in her heart she knew that something was off.

Next time she opened her eyes, she was in something moving, an ambulance. A mask restricting or supporting her breathing. Restricting, definitely, she thought as she tried to pull them off only to be stopped by a familiar voice ordering her to calm down. Caputo.

"Washington. Washington. Stay with me. You're going to be okay. You've been shot but we are getting you to a hospital now."

Poussey heaved. It hurt to open her mouth. But she was determined to tell Caputo anyway. She yanked off her mask and grabbed Caputo by his collar with every ounce of energy left in her.

"Lis-listen to me. Chapman. Chapman-"

"Yes, Chapman what? Where is she?" Caputo asked very calmly in the midst of the medical staff freaking out.

"Chapman was there..." Her words came out slurry and incoherent before the exhaustion took over and she dropped on the gurney again.

But the words had been clear enough for Caputo as they echoed back and forth in his head. Questioning his trust and belief in his most trusted agent. He had known it the moment he has seen the fire. A clever diversion. Not an amateur's work. And the way the police officers were talking about a blonde women taking off like a maniac confirmed that it was her. His best agent has been compromised.

3

Joe Caputo was never questioned about his capabilities in his entire career in the agency. Everyone respected, feared or grudgingly accepted his way of work. Until Natalie Figueroa came into the picture.

She was the most infuriating, annoying and bossy boss he has ever had. Not to mention sexy as hell. In her Gucci heels and Armani blazers gave Caputo numerous fantasies. But she somehow enraged him at the same time. Enraged him so much that he thought about pulling her hair back and fucking her there on her desk. But fuck that.

Now, he was the one being fucked over by his agent. An agent he was supposed to handle. An operation he was conducting. An operation that has somehow became the most important covert operation in the entire CIA history.

Caputo picked at his tweed blazer as he waited for Figueroa to get off the phone. After collecting statements from the cops and Poussey herself it was safe to say that Piper Chapman was the one who broke Alex Vause out of the damn fucking library minutes before the combat team arrived. He had reported the whole thing to Natalie who only gave a disgusted condescending glare in response before calling her superiors to report about the recent developments. And by the looks of it, it wasn't going so well.

Natalie threw the phone on her desk with a scowl on her face. Her face was practically red in anger. Caputo could feel the heat from where he was sitting.

"Agent Chapman betrayed us." Natalie said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, it seems so."

"How did you not see this coming?"

"How could I? Chapman completed countless missions without a hitch. How could I predict that she'll flip this one time." Caputo raised his voice.

"You said she was getting too attached to the subject. If you had interfered back then, we wouldn't be in this situation right now, Joe!"

"So this is all my fault?"

"Your trust on her blindsided you from simple facts."

"Oh! Is that so? Then why didn't you see through her when she was here in the agency. And who knows, maybe she lied right in you face!"

"Did you give her that training too, huh?" Natalie scoffed and folded her arms. "I leave for Washington in two hours to get my brain fried by the Director. So you tell me what we are going to do next about this rogue agent of yours."

Joe paced the room in long thoughtful strides as Natalie sat on her desk with an amusing smile.

"You know what?" Joe said touching his moustache. "Let's just get all of our resources to find Alex Vause. Wherever she is, Chapman is with her."

"That's the smartest thing you've said all day. We keep Chapman out of the news. She doesn't exist for the public. But get our field agents to find her as soon as possible."

"Yeah, putting her picture out there won't do us any good anyone. If she wants to hide, there's no way in hell to find her. We have to wait for a slip up. Besides, putting her name out there-"

"-will do irreparable damage to the agency's reputation." Natalie finished.

"Okay. Let me gather whatever is left of my team." Caputo got out with determination. The ball was in his court now. His most trusted agent betrayed him that certainly asks for some tough calls to be made. And he always prided himself on being the man of hard times.

—

Updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Mild spoilers ahead:

_Shalom everyone! Did you guys finish S7 or are you going one episode at a time? I, for sure, dived right in for a 14 hour ride and it was worth every second of it. I will __probably miss this show for the rest of my life. Because OITNB is on ne of those things that becomes an integral part of you, that makes you- you. _

_The bittersweet Vauseman ending was something I had anticipated and dreaded for a long time. Because endings are endings no matter how happy or sad they are, they are the closing of a chapter. _

_These two lovable, flawed and beautiful idiots are now a part of my life. My memories. And I'll try my best to keep them in my stories and my heart as long as I can. _

_And with that, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. _

_Happy reading!_

_-R_


	15. All Along The Watchtower

The Brooklyn heights brownstone was something out of the 18th century. It was huge and smelled strongly of old money. Alex always knew Piper had a strong financial background and this was not surprising.

Getting in, it felt like no one had lived there long enough to make it home. The furniture was antique and untouched. The pictures on the walls were too old. A little blonde girl and two boys. Piper's brothers, Alex guessed. Some were on the beach, others probably in this house. Three perfect preppy kids.

Piper strode past Alex to close the curtains looking out onto the streets.

"Make yourself at home." She said looking out of the window.

Alex was stunned by the way Piper was acting about the whole thing. Like this was normal. Like she didn't lie to Alex for almost a year. Like Alex was the one at fault for not seeing it. And maybe she was. Maybe she was blinded by the love. The fake love. And that was the strange thing, the love. It didn't feel unreal. In fact, it was the realest thing she had ever felt. So easy and natural. And now it hurt like a knife stabbed in her back. A painful reminder that this person that she loved might have done it just for an act. An act to fool her. She was not accepted or loved or cared for. She was used.

The sun was high up in the sky outside with beautiful weather, contrasting the mood inside. Alex was too tired to stand so she sat back on the couch. Piper was switching on the lights when she finally give in and broke her silence.

"They will not find us here?" She asked.

"No, this place is not listed on my- on my records." Piper answered, still not meeting her eyes. "But we can't stay here for long. We need a place to lay low for a few days or weeks."

"And what after that?"

Piper released an exasperated sigh. "Alex, I didn't plan for this, okay? We need to think of a plan as we go."

"So, you being a spy wasn't planned? Was it improvised?"

"Please, Alex." Piper pressed on her forehead - her migraine was coming back.

"Please what, Piper?" Alex raised her voice. "Please not ask for answers? Please forget about your fucking lies? Please shut up? Piper, you cannot run away from this when I am literally stuck with you. I need answers, Piper. Answers which I am pretty sure I fucking deserve."

Alex blinked back her tears. This was not a time to be vulnerable. But she was. She felt helpless, stuck, scared for her life. And all Piper gave her was a tired look. Well, that was nothing new. That was the old Piper, Piper she knew. Running away from confrontation and truth. Doing things and not giving a fuck about consequences for others. But Alex had fallen in love with all her vices along with her virtues. She had fallen in love foolishly.

Piper offered only a quite, "What do you want to know?"

"Why? Why did you do it? Love me, betray me and then save me?"

Piper sat beside Alex on the couch, looking into her eyes for the first time. And what Alex saw in her eyes was not contempt or anger or frustration. It was a look of hopelessness. Defeat. Guilt. Something that Alex herself felt. So when Piper took her hand in hers, she didn't resist. She just let it happen. She had been craving the contact. The instantaneous relief that the contact brought.

"I was telling the truth back in Paris. I never meant to hurt you." Piper was drawing circles on her hand, her eyes trained to the motion. "I fell in love with you - am still in love with you. The mission-," Piper sighed. "I was supposed to make you fall in love so that I could get to Kubra. He and his terrorist operation had gotten into agency's radar. They thought you were involved too. But you weren't. And I couldn't make them see that. They thought you were all the same. They wanted everyone associated behind bars. And after what happened to Fahri, I couldn't let you…"

Alex removed her hand from her grasp. She cradled her head in her hands instead. Elbows resting on knees and legs shaking. Fahri. Did Piper ratted him out? Was he dead because of Piper? The answers to these questions were both yes and no. Fahri wouldn't have died if he had chosen a more honest profession.

"The night of the party, I heard Kubra talking to someone - Aydin, he was talking about framing you for something. I had to pretend to be drunk in front of him. But when he tried to…I- I ran out. I couldn't handle it anymore. I copied a couple of files from his computer. That's how I knew about the attack and that Kubra will be in the city. So, I decided to follow him here. But you wanted to come as well. As far as I am guessing, you weren't supposed to be here. You were supposed to be in Paris where they would arrest you easily and … assassinate you."

"How did you know where I was?"

"They tracked your phone when you left the voicemail."

"Of course, they fucking did." Alex gave a dry laugh. "And you magically fucking appeared right on time to save my ass."

Piper nodded.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you lied to me from the very beginning. Let me believe that you loved me when you just used me. You really should have been a con artist. I hate you for it. I don't think I have it in me to forgive you." Alex's voice was devoid of any emotion. She was cold and unattached. She can't trust herself with Piper anymore. "When this is over, I don't have any idea how it will be, but when it is over, I am done. I am done with your lies. I am done with your deception. I am done with you-"

"That isn't fair, Alex. I love you. I am sorry-"

"Don't. I don't want your apology, Piper. When this is done, we are done."

Alex's hands were shaking. She adjusted her glasses with one hand and looked Piper straight in her eyes. Piper was on the brink of tears. And Alex, although she hated herself for it, wanted to just lay down on the couch with her and forget about the world. Piper agreed wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She stood up and looked down at Alex with newfound concern.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked.

Alex tilted her back on the couch and removed her glasses like they were irritating her.

"I don't even fucking remember."

"Get some sleep then. Bedroom's upstairs. Food is in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything."

Alex nodded absentmindedly and walked away from Piper. Piper gazed at the retreating form longingly. She was relieved that they were alive but had no fucking idea what to do next. With Poussey down and that guilt drowning her slowly, Piper hated that she had no control over the situation.

Feeling the need of fresh air and sweet escape, Piper found her old running gear, a black hoodie, an old pair of sunglasses and a Yankees snapback. Enough things to get away unrecognised but not suspicious. She left a handwritten note and closed the door behind her making sure that Alex was sleeping upstairs.

She ran her way through Brooklyn heights anxious to meet the only person who could give her some insight in her current situation.

—-

The park was emptier than usual. Piper ran the first mile in eight minutes. No other runners were on the tracks given the time and the recent events. She assumed most of the people were too afraid to come out of their house. It worked in Piper's favour anyhow.

Piper slowed down when she saw what she had come here for. She stopped to catch her breath and instantly a smile was forming on her lips. In front of her was this beautiful lake under the charming midday sky. As the clouds passed by, the slow blowing wind, a flock of pigeons gathered around a bench occupied by a single woman. A woman Piper was happy to see.

She walked her way around the bench and sat quietly beside the woman. The sudden scattering of pigeons was the only sign of her arrival. The woman beside didn't stop her monotonous movement of her hand to feed the birds. She was calm like she had expected it although Piper knew there was no way she could have known her arrival.

"You found me." The woman said in an amused voice.

"You have been coming here for the past decade. Figured I would find you here again, Miss Claudette." Piper replied.

"We are creatures of habit, aren't we?" Miss Claudette looked up at Piper. The old age has added a new layer of experience in her eyes, Piper noticed.

"Well, you taught me that habits are death sentences in our line of work."

"I am not in the same line of work, now am I?"

"No." Piper answered. "Of course not."

"What brings you here, Chapman?" Miss Claudette asked. "What do you seek?"

"I fucked up-"

"Language, agent." The woman scolded. "And yes, I am aware of your little mishap."

"So, you know about Alex and the whole thing?" Piper asked, surprised. Miss Claudette nodded. "How?"

"A little birdie told me." She chuckled. "I have my ways, Chapman. I suppose you have a good reason behind your actions."

"I think so."

"The damage you've caused, can you fix it?"

"I don't know. I have no idea how to. I want to. But all I see are closed doors and literal dead ends. And now, with Poussey being shot…"

"Piper." Miss Claudette said after a while. "What is the one thing that you want right now?"

Piper closed her eyes and released her breath in a silent _wow_. She took her time but she already knew what her answer would be.

"Forgiveness. Redemption." Piper rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know, I have been feeling like the bad guy for a while now. I would like to stop that."

"Okay. Then what's stopping you from getting it?"

Piper chuckled. "The whole fucking universe."

"Again with the language." Miss Claudette smirked. "The universe has a funny way of winding us up in the exact place where we need to be. Stop thinking for a moment. Thank god for you are alive, you have someone to love, something to live for. What's needed to be done will be done when the time is right."

"Maybe you are right." Piper shrugged.

"Oh, I am always right, dear." Miss Claudette smiled pleasantly. "About this Poussey girl, she's the marine one right?"

"Yes. The only one that I trusted." Piper said. "And she got shot because of me. She wasn't supposed to be there. She went there following me."

"People make their own choices, Chapman. And they face the consequences themselves." Miss Claudette said. "Go meet this friend of yours. Make sure she is okay. Apologies. They won't be looking for you there. As far as I know the agency, they would be too busy saving their reputation."

Piper nodded and smiled in affirmation as she got up and walked away, not looking back.

"If you need me, you know where to find me." Miss Claudette called after her.

"Of course." Piper yelled back.

—

Thank you for the reviews, likes and follows. You all are wonderful, gorgeous, kindhearted people. Happy reading!


	16. All Right Now

Alex woke up with a start. She blinked at the unfamiliarity of the place before everything settled and she was again reminded of her situation. She laid in bed for a few more minutes to calm herself down. Her ears were trained downstairs to listen for Piper. But she only got silence in return. She was alone in the house. A familiar fear of abandonment send shivers down her spine. _Where is Piper? _Maybe she was asleep, Alex reasoned.

Alex tiptoed down the stairs to find the living room empty. But there was something stuck on the fridge door. A note.

_I will be back by 4. _

_-P_

Alex released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She drank some water and decided to take a quick shower. The sleep had helped clearing her mind. If they were going to be fugitives, she might as well be clean.

It was nearly five in the evening when Piper came back to the house. Alex had been awake for an hour now. She had taken a shower and microwaved some Pizza from the refrigerator.

"Hey." Piper said getting rid of her shoes.

"You went running?" Alex asked. "Don't you have your pictures on the news?"

"CIA would never admit that one it's own betrayed it. Apparently, I would tarnish their reputation. Besides, I know how to hide." Piper walked past Alex into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

"Okay." Alex said. "What do we do next?"

"I need to catch up on my sleep. Two hours then we leave."

"Leave for where?"

"The hospital where they are keeping Poussey Washington."

"And that is relevant to our objectives, how?"

"I don't know okay." Piper replied frustrated. "At this point you know as much as I do. Maybe more."

"You are just gonna sleep now? And what am I supposed to do?"

Piper's eyes lit up. She stood up immediately grabbing Alex by her wrist and pulled towards the hallway.

"C'mon. I have something to show you." She said walking towards the end of the hallway with a mischievous smile on her lips.

Piper opened the mahogany double doors to reveal a slightly dim room. She turned the lights on. Alex gasped joyfully at seeing what was in front of her. Piper let go of her hand and just looked at her. She had thought she would never have this moment with her. But now, they were standing in Chapman's very own library. Something that she inherited along with the house. Filled with hundreds of rare and special books.

Alex walked forward in slow quiet steps as if her steps would disturb the holiness of the library. Her eyes were upwards to the floor to ceiling bookshelves. She removed her glasses only to put them back on.

"Piper… this is-"

"My family's. Some are rare and old and special. My grandfather built this. You can take whatever you want."

Alex nodded. Her attention already captured by the historical fiction shelf. Piper placed herself in the couch in the middle of the room for a quick nap. She would love to watch Alex wander through the books but her body needs the rest. The recharge of power.

Sleep seizes her mind instantly due to all the exhaustion from last few days. Alex halted her wandering when her eyes fell upon Piper. She instinctively walked over to Piper's sleeping form. She looked so peaceful that Alex felt all her tension leave her body.

Alex can't help the way she feels. She still feels so much love for Piper that it hurts. It baffles her how Piper broke her heart into pieces but she still loves her with every broken piece of it.

—-

Two hours passed like two seconds. Piper woke up rubbing her eyes. Her body wanted to go back to sleep. But one look at the clock jolted her awake. It was 8 PM. She saw Alex's silhouette with a book in hand in the window seat. Curtains slightly open.

"You should close the curtains." Piper said in a hoarse voice. Alex was startled by the sudden voice. She almost jumped out of her seat.

"Jesus, Piper. Could you be more creepy?" Alex said putting a hand over her heart. "Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Piper laughed childishly, forgetting the tension between them. But it was there. Emerging back when Alex retreated back to her seat with a gloomy look. Piper stopped laughing midway. There are other things more important than her mess.

She got up and silently walked back to her room. She picked up a grey hoodie, an old pair of jeans and a brown leather jacket for herself. A classic black leather jacket for Alex. It was rather fitting and Piper chuckled at the stereotype-ness of their attire. All black and creepy.

Piper loaded both of her guns and put them in quickly accessible places and hoped that she wouldn't need them.

Back in the library, Alex was already putting back the book she was reading. She was surprised to see Piper in attire so quickly. Not that it bothered her that she looked so in complete gear. Piper threw a black jacket her way.

"Let's go." Piper said.

Alex put on the jacket. It fit her perfectly. She smirked seeing the look of awe in Piper's face. Some things never change, she thought.

—

_**Somewhere in Washington DC**_

"Alex Vause is not dead yet." Kubra said gruffly over the phone. The plan hadn't gone as smoothly as he had anticipated. Apparently there was a new guardian angel helping Alex.

"No." Aydin replied. "Not yet."

"Then what the fuck are you waiting for in Paris? Should I consider you incapable of doing such a small task?"

"No, sir. There's a problem. I can't travel to the states so soon. They are monitoring every airport. They will arrest me the moment I land given my record."

"I don't fucking care!" Kubra yelled. "Get it done! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir. I do. I am sending in a team right now. They will finish it."

"I don't fucking care how you do it. I want that bitch dead."

Aydin replied in affirmation.

—-

Alex had been anxious all the way. She was jittery, looking out of the car window. Sometimes asking Piper if someone was following them. Piper could have laughed at that. She had never seen Alex so paranoid about something.

She was confident in her selected route. In her free time in NYC, she used to run along the streets looking for cameraless sidewalks. It was weird hobby. But now, the hobby didn't seem so pointless. She assured Alex with the same story. But Alex didn't seem so convinced.

The hospital seemed a noiseless at this type of the night. Piper was grateful for it. They were sitting still in the parking lot. Piper scoped the place out in one glance. She knew the way the agency worked. They would never look in a hospital let alone so soon after an attack.

She got out of the car tilting her head to tell Alex to do the same. Alex got out hesitantly.

"I don't think this is a good idea. What if Kubra sent someone after me?" Alex mumbled.

"Yeah. Kubra called me." Piper deadpanned. "Told me to bring you to this hospital for him."

Alex stopped in her tracks. Piper smirked.

"Just kidding, Al."

Alex sighed and followed Piper through the emergency gates at the back of the hospital. Piper led her through the hallways into an elevator. She seemed oddly familiar with the hospital. Alex would've asked her if they were in a chatty situation. But she was too busy going incognito by keeping her face half covered in hair. Thank god, there weren't many people who looked their way.

Piper stopped the moment they stepped out of the elevator. She was looking at someone with weary eyes. Alex followed her eyes to an old man dressed in surgical gowns and gloves, talking to a woman. He seemed like a doctor. He looked their way as if he knew he was being stared at. His expression changed from shock to relief as his eyes stayed glued to Piper. He almost ran to cover the distance between them and in minutes, Piper was in his embrace. Alex instinctively stepped back. Her senses on high alert.

"Oh my god, Piper. Are you okay? Are you fine?" The man asked in a rushed voice.

"Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Dad…dad…you are okay. I am okay." Piper mumbled into his shoulder.

Now that the old man was close, Alex could see the similarities clearly. The same gleaming blue eyes. The noses. The hair. He was Bill Chapman. Piper's father. Alex had never thought she would be meeting him like this. Or meeting him at all. But the universe works in mysterious ways.

When they finally let go of each other, Alex didn't know what to do with herself. Should she hide? Or awkwardly walk backwards? Bill still had his hands on Piper's shoulders. And Piper had tears in the corner of her eyes.

"I didn't know you would be here." Piper said.

"Good thing I am. I was pulled into an emergency surgery. The things…that has been going around, it's all hands on deck." Bill smiles softly. "I have been calling you since… since the attack. I was worried. We all were."

"I was busy…at the agency. It's been a chaos, to be honest. Mom and Cal and Danny, they are okay?"

"Yes. Everyone is fine. How come you are here?" Bill asked. He finally noticed that Piper was not alone. His hands dropped from Piper's shoulders as he squinted to get a better look at Alex. He stiffened.

"Oh my god." Bill whispered. "Isn't she the -"

"Dad," Piper interrupted. "It's complicated. I'm here on agency business. And she's with me. It's an ongoing investigation."

Bill relaxed a little bit at that. The way Bill reacted disturbed Alex momentarily. Is that how the world sees her now? With disgust and terror. Like she will destroy everything around her.

"Dad, I'm here to see a friend from work. Poussey Washington. She was shot in the lower abdomen. Do you know where they are keeping her?"

"Yes. Yes. The nurses were talking about it. Poor kid," Bill said. "Third door from the right."

Piper nodded and hugged him again. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I need a favour."

"Yes?"

Piper pulled away briefly. "I need you to find a patient. Diane Vause. She was in Brooklyn General with a heart condition. Can you…can you find her? She needs good care. Can you please make sure she is okay?"

Bill was certainly dumbfounded by such an unusual request but he nodded in affirmation anyway.

"Thanks, Dad."

"You take care of yourself, okay?" Bill said, concerned.

"I will."

Bill's pager went off. He left with a promise that he will not say anything about this to anyone. Piper glanced at Alex to continue walking towards Poussey's room. But Alex could easily see that she was looking for something else as well. Absolution.

It was hard staying mad at Piper. Alex understands why Piper did what she did but the betrayal still feels too close to home. The delicate thread of trust has been snapped. And Alex is not sure it can be mended. Not so soon. Not so easily.

—

**Quick Fact :**

As some of you mentioned, the chapter titles are indeed song titles. In fact, there is a Spotify playlist named **Hell or high water (FF), **just in case you guys wanna listen to it. Happy Reading!


	17. Live And Let Die

1

Piper knocked on the door four times in morse code and waited for Poussey's response hoping that she was awake.

"Come in." Poussey called out.

Piper opened the door slowly, ushering Alex to go in first. She closed the door instantly. The room smelled like sanitizers and despair. Poussey's bed was there in the middle with her laying on it. Tubes were going in and out of her body. She was regarding the pair with utmost amusement. Alex standing as far back as possible, her shoulder resting on the window sill looking out into the parking lot. And Piper was not really sure what to say. Thankfully, Poussey took charge with a curious smile.

"Didn't think you would show up so soon," Poussey said. "That along with your girlfriend."

"She's not-" Alex began. .

"I am n-" Piper added at the same time. But they both shut up and an awkward silence fell in the room.

"Looks like you are here to kill me with weaponised awkwardness." Poussey chirped in. She chuckled instantly buckling as her sides hurt. "Jesus…" she muttered under her breath.

"Poussey," Piper came closer to the foot of the bed. "I am sorry. For what happened. I shouldn't have been so reckless. You wouldn't be there if it weren't for me. I am so-"

"Chapman, stop that apology train right there. You really think you're the centre of the universe," Poussey chuckled again. "I wasn't there to arrest you singlehandedly. I am not stupid like you. Hell no. Under normal situations, I would have reported your ass straight to Fig and they would've arrested you even before you could say 'escape'."

"Then, why were you there?"

"Here's the thing, alright." Poussey sat up a bit. "After you were gone, I was there thinking like who I should trust, ya know. The director or Caputo or Fig. Cause if I lay it down to the traitor, you would be in trouble. I am there thinking and then I hear Bloom talking to some junior techies."

"Larry Bloom?"

"Yeah. Bloom. So he is bragging to his juniors how he tracked down the most wanted terrorist in the United States Of America in seconds. And I am like, what an asshole. But then, he starts bragging about this party he will be hosting after this is over. On his fucking yatch. I am like, where the fuck did he get a fucking yatch on an agent's salary. So I asked and he just dodged the question. And I am like, bitch what? So, I pulled up his financial record that I already had. But everything is normal. But then I open his Instagram. He posted tons of pictures on his boat, his new Bentley, his new apartment. And I am like, where is he getting all the money?"

"You're saying he is the traitor?"

"Yeah. Cause that's not all, I pulled up his call records, emails and he has like tons of record heavily encrypted. I would have opened those if I had the time. And he never searched the system for Kubra Balik. Remember how he instantly said that Kubra never landed. He, in fact, searched right in for Alex. He directed all of our attention on Alex. And the tracking? I am guessing that he already knew where to look since Kubra was looking for Alex as well. So, I thought you need to know this and once you are off the place, I will never find you. I drove crazy fast to get there and I wanted to wait for you till you get out but this crazy sniper guy starts shooting and I backfire with my pistol and he shot me before I shot him."

"You were there to tell me this? Oh. God." Piper sat down on the end of the bed. "Do you think he is the only one? Are the others clean? How much did he share with Kubra?"

Before Poussey could answer, Alex interrupted frantically.

"Piper. They are here," she said moving away from the window.

"Who?" Piper rushed to the window only to see four men walking through to the entrance in black semi-combat gear. They were here for Alex.

"You said they wouldn't track us here." Alex whispered.

"They are not the government. They are from Kubra. And they certainly wouldn't take us alive."

Piper turned back to Poussey.

"You need to get Larry Bloom. He definitely has some answers. And getting him arrested would be stupid. Kubra will kill him even if he is in prison. You have to get to him before he gets you," Poussey added. "Call me if you need anything."

Piper nodded solemnly, one hand already on the door handle. "Thank you, Poussey."

2

The hospital hallway was busier than before as both the woman slipped through group of doctors and nurses towards the stairs. They had seen at least four men getting in. They would definitely draw attention if anything were to happen here. Hence, Piper decided to get out of the hospital as soon as possible.

They reached the door for the fire exit. Alex opened it and ran down with Piper in tow. Piper already had her gun out. As Piper closed the door behind her, the elevator in which the men were coming up was opening. And they sure as hell noticed Piper closing the door.

"Fuck." Piper cursed following Alex's lead. "They are here. And I think they saw me."

Alex cursed as well but didn't stop running down the stairs. They were on the second floor. They were not behind them. For a second, Piper thought it was a good thing. But as Alex was about to open the exit door, it struck her that they might be waiting just out here but it was too late.

Alex had already opened the door three inches. A gloved hand reached for her wrist and pulled her out. Slamming her to the ground. The man in black long coat stood over Alex, gun out and pointing at her. Piper lunged forward, grabbing the man from behind in a headlock. His friends however, started shooting at her clearly surprised by a second person. Piper used the guy in the long coat as a human shield, his mates sprayed him with bullets. Alex got to her feet immediately. They kept firing at Alex and Piper as they dragged the dead guy with them behind a car. Piper dropped his body and positioned herself behind a car window. She took one look at Alex, making sure they were okay at least for now.

The firing stopped momentarily. The only source of light in the outside parking was a flickering streetlight which made it immensely hard for Piper to locate the other guys. She counted the intervals of the light. It stayed on for three seconds and came back after every seven seconds. She kept the eyes and ears trained for any sound. There was none. These guys were well trained and were probably ready to wait it out, which meant they were betting that Piper will play the defensive game. But Piper wasn't in the mood to drag it out. The longer she waited, the more advantage they will be in. She took out her other gun and held it out to Alex.

"Have you ever fired a weapon before?" Piper whispered hurriedly.

"No!" Alex whispered back.

"Okay. So, just aim and pull the trigger at anyone that isn't me. You'll be okay." Piper reassured.

"Where are you going?"

Piper pointed her finger towards a red Mercedes. A silhouette was moving on the back of it. Alex nodded in understanding.

Piper crouched down and pulled the dead guy's body up to a sitting pose. She positioned him carefully against the car door where she was crouched minutes ago to make it look like she was still there. She crawled her way through the back of the cars to the figure behind the red car while the light was out. She stopped before getting too close. The man clearly wasn't paying attention to his 6 'O clock. Piper made sure there wasn't anyone watching his back before charging in.

Piper slowly crawled behind his back. He was too busy looking out. She kept her gun ready to shoot. Just as the man tilted his head a degree to see what was happening, she grabbed his head with her hand and smacked it right into the car door causing the car alarm to get off. He whimpered. She smashed it again as the glass shards stuck out of his head and it dropped in her hand. The rest of them (probably two) started firing her way in vain. She had already expected they would do something like that. One guy was just three cars ahead, behind an ambulance. The other was even closer, a few feet away from her hiding in the shadows of the flickering streetlight. She crouched down on the ground as they showered their own man with bullets. Eventually the shooting stopped.

She didn't waste a moment to aim at the guy in the shadows. It was hard. She could only she him when the light was on. Still she held the aim. Relax. She needed to relax. She exhaled deeply. The light came on. The man was standing. An assault rifle in his hand. The light went off, an assault rifle, Jesus Christ, these guys were serious. She would have to shoot him the next time the light came on. She relaxed her muscles and aimed by memory. This is okay. She was trained for this. She had done this before. It's okay. The light came back on exactly after seven seconds. She wasted the first second aiming for his heart. Pulled the trigger on the next second. And an ear-piercing scream was heard throughout the parking lot just as the lights went out again. Piper huffed out a breath. But the relief was short lived. sounds of struggle came from her left. _Alex_.

—-

Sitting behind the car with a body, Alex was not doing so well. She was close to panicking from the moment Piper left her there. She had never been good with blood and violence, let alone a dead body. The gun in her hand felt heavy and foreign. She had held guns before, seen people using them oh so easily but couldn't get herself to do it. Not even when Kubra asked her to. She was terrible at it. She looked away from the dead guy and tried to control her breathing. But suddenly, car alarms went off from where Piper had gone off to. Alex panicked. She grabbed the gun tightly and peeked out from her hiding spot. Gunfire had started in Piper's direction. Alex hoped that Piper made it out alive although it seemed highly unlikely.

Alex couldn't sit still even after the shots stopped. She had noticed that it came from two directions. One from the streetlight and other just from behind a few cars ahead of her. She could easily go behind the cars and get the guy. Blood thumped in her ears. And sweat trickled down her face giving a cool sensation as the wind collided with it. She collected every last bit of courage left in her, tucked the gun behind her and charged towards the man.

The man was entirely focused on something else. He had changed his position. A few feet away from where he was shooting from earlier. He must have done it for a reason, Alex thought as she hid behind him. _Piper_. Piper was in his line of fire. He was waiting for the light to come on. Shit. Alex scuffled to her feet abruptly. Making noise to get his attention. He turned around in a flash. Gun pointed at her face, her hands held above in surrender. He was fast but still taken by surprise as he wasted the seconds to shoot her, a gunshot came from where Piper was, followed by a scream.

—

A/N:

(Spoilers) I was thinking about season 7. And I thought it would have been awesome if we got a scene with Alex, Diane and Piper. Like just having dinner or something. Sitting around a table, chilling out. The interaction would have been precious 'cause we never really got to know Diane apart from that one scene. I personally imagine her as Will's mom from _Stranger things. _Kind and passionate and nourishing. That's all, folks. Have a nice day!


	18. Highway To Hell

The man holding Alex on gunpoint was distracted, his eyes snapping back and forth. Alex tried to take advantage of the moment by taking the gun away from his hand. But he was holding it too tight. Alex failed and he grabbed her by her wrist and twisted her around. Her back to his front, a disgusting smell of alcohol and cologne, a hot muzzle pressed on the base of her neck, burning. She grunted in pain as he twisted her hand even more. She tried to reach for the gun on her back but it was thrown away by him. He must have felt it. His breathing was heavy. He hesitated. Alex figures she could stall what was going to happen next. She could live if she used the right words.

"You don't have to do this." She said as calmly as possible.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." He was frantic as he looked around. He was waiting, Alex figured. He was waiting for Piper to make a move. He was scared for his life.

"You could let me go. And run out of here."

"You d-don't under…stand." He stuttered. "Please j-just shut up." He dragged them right out in the middle of the parking lot. "Come out of you little hidey hole, you bitch or I shoot her. Come out."

Seconds passed. Piper calculated the risk factors. The guy was nervous and scared. Maybe he was new to this. Maybe she could talk out of this. She waited and watched as he dragged Alex right out in the centre. If he has waited this long then he is willing to talk. She stood up on her feet and came out.

It was an odd kind of face off. The guy was literally shaking. But his grip on the gun was firm. He was holding Alex like she was his only chance at life.

"Alex, are you okay?" Piper asked, not paying much attention to the man. She still had her gun pointed at him. Only if she could get a safe opening.

Alex nodded. "Yes."

"Look, man," the guy mumbled. "I'm just the getaway driver. I-I don't want to do this. B-but you have to let me go."

"Then let her go." Piper said calmly.

"No! You will shoot me. L-look I told you, I want to live. I promise…I have a wife and a kid-"

Knees. His knees are exposed. Four inches away from Alex. Piper pulled the trigger. He screamed out in pain and his knee gave out and buckled under his weight. He let go of Alex. Too preoccupied by the pain that was killing him. Piper shot him again. In the chest. His blood splattered on Alex's face as she still standing close. His body dropped to the ground. Piper walked up to him and kicked the gun away from him. He was writhing in pain. Piper shot him again, standing over his body, right in his head.

Piper knelt down to search his pockets. Indeed there was a key in his pocket. She took it out and pressed the button. A black SUV in the corner signaled back.

Piper stood up and walked to Alex who was still a bit shaken by the whole ordeal. Piper wiped the drops of blood on the side of Alex's face with her thumb.

"Alex, we have to go. The police will be here any moment." Piper said. Alex nodded not looking at her. They rushed back to their SUV. Piper backed up and drifted away from the parking lot.

—

The car smelled like cigarettes and dead things. But Piper had no other options. What if they had already informed someone about them. What if they come following the car. If was good this away. She hadn't left any evidence of their presence anyway.

"You didn't have to kill him," Alex said.

"What?" Piper was surprised.

"You didn't have to kill him. You shot his knee and that was enough. You didn't need to kill him."

Piper scoffed. _Seriously. This was bothering Alex. Like she didn't deal in heroine and worked for a drug cartel. _

"Can we not do this right now?"

"It's always like that with you. Not dealing with things. And I get it. I get that we are really in a fucked up situation. But Piper," Alex was sad. Her voice heavy and pained. "It's moments like this that makes me think that I don't know you. That I never knew you. That I fell in love and still fucking love the person that never was there."

Piper's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. She was barely controlling her tears.

"Al…" she gasped out.

"No, let me finish. I get it. The whole keeping your identity secret thing. Lying and betraying. And I am grateful for what you did for mom. But Piper, I am not okay. I am not okay with this. And I hope you wouldn't force me to be. Please, Piper."

Piper nodded. Blinking her eyes a few times to clear the haziness in her eyes.

"It's okay not to be okay, Al. And I am sorry if I ever made you feel that way." She sighed. "And I hope you understand why I killed him. He tried to hurt you. And Alex, I can't let him get away with that. It's a flaw on my part but … I just couldn't see you getting hurt. And I am sorry."

"It's okay," Alex said, eyes fixed on the road where a bunch of police cars were rushing in the opposite direction. Probably to the hospital. "We can't go back to your place." She said after a while.

"Yeah, I know."

"Where are we going then?"

"I don't know."

"So, you're just driving around?" Alex chuckled. "Unbelievable."

"What? I don't know where to go. I am still thinking. A hotel or something…"

"I am pretty sure no hotel will take me in." Alex said, amused. "Take the next left. I know someone who can help."

"Someone you trust?"

"Kind of. She has a very pliable moral compass."

"A moral compass pliable enough to harbour an alleged terrorist and a rogue CIA agent?"

"You'll see. Trust me, she's one of a kind."

Alex called her from Piper's burner phone from under the bridge in the middle of the night. Whoever Alex was calling, thankfully picked up. Piper was a bit away from Alex, searching the car for anything worth using. The night wind was cold, making her shiver. She cursed herself for not adding another layer.

Alex threw away the phone into the Hudson River after the call ended. Piper hesitated before going up to her. Alex was in deep thought, eyes staring blankly on the flow of water. Hair flowing freely and hands tucked deep in her pockets. Piper walked up and stood beside her in silence. Feeling the same sense of peace and wind soothes her face.

"She is okay with the whole thing. She is expecting me in an hour. In Queens."

"Okay." Piper said softly.

"I need to learn how to use a gun."

"Yeah. I can teach you."

"Okay." Alex replied and folded her hands. "We should probably go."

"Yeah. We should."

Piper relished in these moments when it felt like Alex was trying. When it felt like Alex was not giving up. It made Piper hope that there was still something left between them. Not something - _love_. Some hope that by the end of it they will be okay. And together.

—

2

The friend of Alex's came speeding into the alleyway at 4 in the morning with horns banging and _Highway to hell _blaring through the speakers of her Chevrolet Corvette 1962. And god, she was a sight to behold.

Alex and Piper had been waiting on the back alley of a beat up Russian restaurant. She lowered the volume of her speakers and jumped out of her car in pure enthusiasm, headlights still on. Piper rolled her eyes although she couldn't see who got out of the car thanks to the blinding headlights. _This certainly was a bad idea. _But Alex held her ground.

She was all glitter and sparkle and shiny teeth like this was the best day of her life. The golden jacket on her back hung loosely over a sinfully fitted black shirt. Her height was lifted at least five inches by some very pompously characterised boots.

"Well, well, well…" She announced in a dramatic fashion. "Isn't it the finest night in New York?"

Piper was stupefied by the voice. The unmistakable drawl and distinctive accent mixed with tantalising sexiness. Piper would have recognised her even in her sleep. She stepped forward, hand shading her eyes, along with Alex.

"Nicky!" They both said in unison. Alex certainly in a more happy voice compared to Piper's utter shock one. As they covered the short distance between them, lines got a little sharper and faces clearer. It was Nicky's turn to get stunned.

"Holy mother of god!" Nicky said in a way that her voice got louder with each word. Her eyes traveled back and forth between Alex and Piper. "Can above average consumption of alcohol cause hallucinations? Or am I really seeing Piper fucking Chapman?"

"Wait! You two know each other?" Alex was out of her depth here.

"You can see her too?" Nicky questioned. "Then I am not fucking hallucinating. C'mere blondie."

Just like that, Piper was shaken out of her shell shocked-ness. She was engulfed in a hug.

"I still don't get it." Alex mumbled, confused.

"Don't stand and brood over there, Stretch. Come join us." Nicky opened an arm wide enough for Alex to fit. Alex hesitantly gave in. It was awkward at first but then she eventually melted into it. Maybe it was the kind of touch she had craved.

"Great." Alex grunted. "Now, we are three idiots standing in a circle, hugging. That's gonna solve all of our problems."

"Why so pissy, Stretch." Nicky let go of them. "When was the last time you got laid?"

Instinctively, Alex and Piper turned to each other with mutual longing.

"Holy shit!" Nicky shouted. "You two are eye-fucking!"

"No, we are not-"

"Shut up, Nick-"

"I know dyke-drama when I see it. And you two long legged lesbians certainly make a pair."

"Nick." Piper interrupted. "Seriously, not now. We are not…not together."

"Yeah." Alex said, amused. "But how the fuck do you two know each other?"

"What can I say, eh? It's a small world." Nicky winked at Alex. Piper let out a disgusted sigh. "I assume you contacted me due to your dire need of a shelter. Now that you're famous and all."

"Nicky," Alex warned.

"Nick, can you help?" Piper asked softly.

"I wouldn't have brought you here if I couldn't help you. I was amazed at how Vause managed to fend off the cops for so long. And now I know some of it, I would love to know the rest, eh. Come follow me." Nicky took out the key from her car and gestured towards a red door. "After you, my ladies."

Alex rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. The room they entered was a stockroom of the restaurant. Nicky took them through a strait case at the back of some boxes. The stairway eventually led to an open space flat.

"Mi casa es su casa." Nicky bowed in dramatic way. "Bathroom's on the right. Bed in there. Although, I don't think it's safe… on the bed and the couch. We did some nasty things-"

"Nicky, why don't you just flag all the unsafe places-"

"Then there will be no surface left. What? I like to be thorough in all my deeds. So, there's like make-love-to-me-on-the-window-sill and then there's let's-fuck-hard-and-break-the-bed."

"Ew, Nick…" Piper tapped her head lightly.

"Beggars can't be choosers, I guess." Alex sat on the sofa and closed her eyes tiredly.

Nicky had retracted back to the door which they had come from.

"Where are you going?" Piper questioned.

"I didn't tell Ma about you guys. She will be here in ten minutes. Make yourself at home. I'll just have to talk to her, yeah." Nicky grinned and got out of the place closing the door behind her. Piper smiled in amusement.

"So…" she started, "how do you know Nicky Nichols?"

Alex opened her eyes and contemplated a few moments before answering.

"Met her at a rehab."

"Rehab?" Piper was shocked. "You were in a rehab?"

"To sell drugs. Early days. I guess it was a test. I had to sell drugs to recovering addicts at this fancy rehab. You have no idea how much those rich-ass people were willing to pay." Alex scoffed. "Then I met Nicky. And she was just… I couldn't do it anymore. She was a friend and I couldn't sell to her. But I was in too deep to quit. So, I asked Fahri and he got me into this importing gig. But how do you know her?"

"Boarding school. She was there because she was a troublemaker and I was there because I kissed a girl. My mother was stupid enough to send me to an all girl boarding school that also a school and luckily I met Nicky. She helped me through…some stuff."

Piper was momentarily distracted by a tape recorder on the corner table. It seemed familiar. Piper lifted it to find the initials P.E.C carved on the back of the recorder. _Oh. _It was the recorder they had used in boarding a school to send their mothers very inappropriate audio clips in mail. Nicky to Carol and Piper to Nicky's mother. Piper smiled at the memories and pocketed the audio recorder to tease Nicky later about it.

A loud noise came from downstairs. Piper glanced at Alex who reflected the same confusion. Piper stepped back, closer to Alex.

"MA! Relax! They are harmless-" Nicky yelled.

"Harmless?" A thick Russian accent growled. "A terrorist is harmless!"

"Alleged! I have known her-"

"I do not care how long you have known her. She is enemy of the state. She is enemy of mine."

Her voice was seething with rage as she climbed the stairs one step at a time. _Thump. Thump. Thump. _Like a predator going on a hunt. Piper was ready with her gun. Alex behind her.

The door opened with such force that Piper thought it might come off of its hinges. A force so powerful that Piper jumped at her spot. By the time she regained her composure, she was staring down the muzzle of a shotgun pointed right between her eyes. Her own gun aimed for the other women's heart. Blood was rushing to both their faces. Breathes heavy and laboured. Eyes too stubborn to look away.

"Put your gun down, blondie. I am here to deal with your partner. I hold no fight against you. Give her up."

"Over my dead body."

—

Thank you so much for the comments, favourites and follows. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

The next updates might be a little late. My exams are here so… see you next week with the new chapter. Have a nice day!


	19. Sleep On The Floor

"Put your gun down, blondie. I am here to deal with your partner. I hold no fight against you. Give her up."

"Over my dead body."

"Jesus Christ!" Nicky shouted and slid in the small space between the two of them. "We are not in the Wild West! Red, you need to calm down a couple of notches-"

"Tell your friend to lower her gun first." Red said through gritted teeth.

"Chapman, c'mon. Let's all be friends, eh?" Nicky joked. "No need to get your panties in a twist. What d'ya say?"

"I'll pass." Piper said.

"Okay. Piper, this is getting nowhere." Alex interrupted, coming out front, hands held above her head. "Look," she addressed Red, "Look, I am unarmed. I cannot possibly hurt you. We just need a place to stay-"

"Hide." Red spat out. "You mean hide."

"Whatever suits you, Red." Alex replied. "I know you do some shady business behind this restaurant cover. So, it's not like we are asking you something out of the ordinary."

"I do not shelter child killers. I know what you did to that hospital full of sick children-"

Alex walked closer. Using her height as an advantage, she looked down at Red with the most sincere look that she could conjure.

"I understand if you don't trust me. But I did not do what they are saying. We need time to make it right. We need help from you. You can still deny. But maybe it will work out in your favour too. Help us. Just for a few days. Or pull that trigger if you want but remember that Nicky trusted us and brought us here."

Red lowered her weapon slightly still keeping an eye on Piper. She nodded her head just enough to let Piper know that she won't shoot. Piper brought her gun down simultaneously.

"Ufff…" Nicky dramatically sighed.

"Your friends can live here. 24 hours. But I do not want this shit getting back at my ass. You leave tomorrow as quietly as you came." Red firmly said to Nicky. "И волки сыты, и овцы целы."

"Whatever that means, thank you for letting us stay." Alex replied exaggeratedly.

"благодарю вас." Piper thanked.

"I need to attend business downstairs. Keep a fucking eye on them." Red said and knocked Nicky on her head.

"Tough love, woman, tough love." Nicky smirked behind her.

—

Three hours had passed since Piper had ungraciously fell asleep on the couch. She had intended a short nap, hardly an hour but the exhaustion and stress got the best of her. She woke up by the sound of muffled giggling coming from Nicky's bedroom. She sat up, looked around, Alex and Nicky weren't around. The laughter came again. This time Piper recognised it as Alex's.

"What the fuck?" She muttered under her breath and walked in the direction of the bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar. Looking inside, Piper found it dimly lit. She took her time adjusting to the light in the room, standing just two steps inside.

"Nicky!" Piper asked, surprised.

Nicky and Alex giggled, trying to hide behind the covers around them, failing miserably. Piper pulled away the cover in front of their faces with disgust.

"What are you doing!?" Piper asked.

"Hey, bummer Chapman!" Nicky laughed. "Get the fuck down or fuck the fuck off."

"Bum-bum-bum-bum…" Alex said in sing-song voice. "My tongue feels delightful."

Piper scrunched up her nose. But before she could say anything, Nicky pulled her by her wrist, making her fall onto the bed beside them. They both laughed hilariously as Piper managed to get up in a sitting position.

"Hey," Nicky crawled towards her, "from this angle, your nose hair looks pretty prominent, eh?"

"Ooh," Alex joined in. "She used to trim those. You are really letting yourself go, Chapman."

"Are you two crazy?" Piper yelled. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"It's a weekly meeting, Okay," Nicky said seriously. "For the morally morose and successfully challenged. So, we are just going back and forth and, uh, talking about all the truly dreadful, horrible shit that we have to slog through on a daily basis-"

"-And we are smoking crack." Alex added.

"Oh, yeah, that too."

"Are you two fucking serious!?"

"While not my first choice, crack in small amount is actually good for you."

"Yeah. Yeah." Alex muttered, clearly high on the drug as well. Nicky took out the glass pipe she had been hiding behind her back and lit a lighter beneath it, taking a long inhale.

"Perfect." Piper said. "So, you guys are cracked out of your minds."

"Hmm." Alex nodded playfully.

Nicky exhaled slowly. White smoke spread throughout the room that smelled like burning rubber.

"You can be too. Here." Nicky held the crack pipe and the lighter towards Piper.

"Fuck it." She took the pipe without hesitation.

"Whoa! Seriously?" Alex slid her glasses to the top of her head.

"Why would you offer it to me if didn't want to share it?" Piper asked angrily and put one end of the pipe in her mouth. Nicky chuckled amusedly.

Piper could feel the crack making place in her mind, the relief coming instantly. The weight lifting off of her shoulder. She chuckled. It felt nice. Even if on borrowed time. It felt like a break.

"Heyy… take it easy." Nicky took away the pipe from her hand.

"Take it easy? Fuck that! I am a fugitive okay? I was the best agent and now I am a fucking fugitive and I kill people. I fucking kill people and I can't fucking stop it. I can never fucking stop it-"

"Hey, they were bad people. Vause told me all about it, eh. You did what you had to do-"

"No. No. No. No. You don't understand. You don't fucking understand. I kill people. I kill and I can't stop. Why do you think I became a fucking agent huh? I loved my job. It's one thing I am fucking good at. I am good at becoming anyone, creating anyone. As long as I didn't have to look in a mirror, look at myself. I don't have that now. It's hard being myself. It's so fucking hard."

"Piper," Alex slid closer to her and cupped her face in her hands. "Piper, you are not the only bad person, okay-"

"No, no. I took it too far. I took it too far. I always take it too fucking far. I dragged you into this. I fucking dragged everyone into this. And I don't fucking know where to go from her. I don't fucking know. This is what I have become. This is what I have fucking become. And this what I would have to live with." Piper broke down in her hands. Tears flowing freely and all the frustration coming up in pathetic sobs. Alex's touch practically melted her.

"Hey, Hey, hey…" Alex tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, wiping a stray tear from her cheeks with her thumb. "You didn't dragged me into this. This is my mess, okay? I was not fucking naive. Fuck, I knew what Kubra was capable of doing still I chose to ignore it. I knew I was just a mule for him. Still, I never fucking stopped. I couldn't fucking stop doing his bidding." Alex leaned in closer. Their noses touching and tears blending. Piper put an arm around Alex, hugging her gently. Giving her the assurance and acceptance that she knew Alex craved. Alex pulled back briefly, looking at her with strong intentions and Piper reciprocated it, stealing glances on her lips -

"I fell in love with a straight girl." Nicky said out of nowhere.

They both let go of each other instantly and stared at Nicky, idly sitting there. Her pupils blown out and face covered in smoke from all the crack she has been doing.

"What?" They both said in unison.

"What, what?" Nicky shrugged. "I figured it was my turn. Are you not done yet Vasue?"

"You fell in love?" Piper asked, shocked.

"A straight girl?" Alex said at the same time.

"Yes, I fell in love. And yes, with a straight girl. She lives… lived down the street, above the Italian bakery." Nicky said gloomy.

"Well, what happened, Romeo?" Alex asked, genuinely interested.

"She got issues, man." Nicky sighed. "Real issues with her brain. She was stalking some dude. The cops arrested her the night I was going to propose."

Alex stifled a traitorous giggle with the back of her hand. Piper tapped on her shoulder, scolding her.

"Don't laugh." Piper said. "It's really sad, Nick. Although, I am not really surprised, given no girl would give you time of her day without being you know, crazy."

"Fuck you, Chapman!"

Alex rolled back in a fit of laughter, landing on the side of the bed. She held her stomach as she laughed. Piper joined her soon enough. They laid side by side as Nicky bombarded them with a fountain of curses. Finally, Nicky fell back as well. Next to Piper as they all stared at the bare ceiling. The laughter died down eventually after some more teasing.

"What's her name, Nick?" Piper asked after a while.

Nicky regarded the question before answering in a quiet, sincere voice. "Lorna. Lorna Morello."

"She's pretty?" Alex asked.

"Very." Nicky answered.

"You are absolutely smitten, kid." Alex chuckled at the honest answer.

"May be I am." Nicky replied. "Aren't you?"

_Yes. I am. _

Alex turned just enough to lock eyes with Piper as a small smile appeared on her lips. They heard Nicky snoring before she could answer. Piper sighed and moved closer into Alex's side, searching the warmth and comfort she had missed so dearly. Alex gave in. She got up on her elbow and kissed the top of Piper's forehead in a silent promise that eventually they will be okay.

—

"So, this Larry guy, you sure he's the one?" Nicky asked, popping popcorn into her mouth. She was absentmindedly watching the news.

"Yes, there's no one else. He's all we have got." Piper replied.

They had woken up almost an hour ago along with severe headaches and a setting sun. After several coffees and showers, they had set some sort of an office on Nicky's dining table. Red had graciously fed them best of Russian cuisine.

"How good is he?" Alex asked. "I mean, as an agent."

"He's practically a nobody. His father got him the job."

"Family? Marriage?"

"He's married to my former best friend, Polly Harper."

"Holy fuck, Chapman. She steal him from you." Nicky piped in enthusiastically from the couch. Alex gave a disgusted look.

"What? Too hetero?" Nicky smirked.

"It's more like he steal her from me. He's a sleazebag." Piper replied. "I am actually not surprised it's him. Son of a bitch."

"What do we do with that, though? Even if we were to come out and say it's him, there's no point. Kubra will walk away, anyway." Alex added.

"We have to be smart about this. Besides, this is bigger than Kubra. There's someone calle - "

Nicky had went over to the television screen. She was watching it very intently.

"That was fast." Nicky said.

"What was fast?" Alex asked.

"The next vice-president. Some guy named Jason Figueroa. Apparently he is the president's choice. It's all over the news, man." Nicky explained. "They are having the funeral the day after tomorrow. It's gonna be a big event in D.C."

"Jason Figueroa?" Piper asked.

"What? Do you know him?"

"Yeah. He's Natalie Figueroa's husband. She is the deputy director of the agency. My boss."

"Wow." Alex took a sip of her beer.

"Yeah." Nicky walked back to the kitchen counter. "What are we gonna do about the sleazebag?" Nicky scrolled down his Instagram page on Piper's laptop.

"How about we get him to confess?" Alex suggested.

"Yeah. But he's a trained agent. We will have to isolate him and then probably torture him for information."

"Looks like the guy loves his yacht." Nicky whistled. "I have an idea. Do you have his number?"

"Yes. But what's the idea?"

"We lure him into a trap. He loves his yacht. We will prank call him that somebody vandalised his boat. He'll come running."

"But, Nick we don't know where his boat is-"

"Are you really an agent Chapman?" Nicky smirked. "His posts are from the same location. Look here. They are all geo stamped. And I know this place. My mother's boyfriend once had a party over there."

"Wow." Piper patted Nicky's back. "This actually sounds like a good plan. We can hold him on his boat until he gives us what we want."

"Yeah. We can record his confession. Use it to our advantage."

"Fucking absolutely, agent obvious." Nicky high fived Alex in excitement.

"Nick, are you sure you want to get involved in this?" Piper asked one last time.

"My shrink calls me self-destructive, Chapman. I gotta live up to her diagnosis." Nicky reasoned. "Besides, I am already involved."

—

"Larry Bloom speaking," Larry picked up in four rings.

"Yea, 'tis Jeffrey, the maintenance guy. Just wanted to let ya know, some kids were here fuckin' with yer boat-"

"My boat?!" He said frantically.

"Yea. Polly. Think they broke a window or two, painted the front with some vulgar art. If I were ya, I woulda come down to check the damage. But, just lettin' ya know. Scared the kids away for now. Have a good night, sir."

"Hold on! Hold on!" Larry shouted over the phone. "I am coming right now. Just stay there, alright."

"No problem, sir."

Jeffrey hung up.

"He bought it?" Alex asked.

"Yup. He's comin' to wherever y'all want him. He sounded pretty emotional though. Never seen a guy with so much love for a boat." He chuckled.

Alex handed him a fifty. "Thanks, Jeffrey."

Piper and Nicky were already waiting on the yacht. When Alex nodded in confirmation, they started preparing for his arrival.

—-

Hola!

I am officially back! The exams are over. So, I am back on the Mon-Wed-Fri schedule. Thank you so much for waiting patiently. And for the reviews. Love you, guys.

Ps : Someone in the reviews asked,

Did I plan this story beforehand?

Yes, I had a basic plot outlined for the whole thing. A chronological order of events just so that I don't deviate from the story. I wrote the last chapter beforehand which I'll probably have to change. I work the details while writing the chapters and try to fit them into the story frame in the most coherent way. And the plot outline helps me avoid writer's block. (The reviews are a great cure for writer's block too. I keep going back to them whenever I feel low. Thanks, again.)


	20. Sick In The Head

Larry drove through New York traffic in a bit of a haze. He had sprinted from his house even without telling Polly where he was going. His most prized possession was in jeopardy. He couldn't handle that calmly. His dream boat was in danger.

The harbour at this time of the night was deserted. Only the sea waves could be heard from where he parked his car haphazardly. He got out and dashed for his yacht anchored to shore. He looked around for this Jeffrey guy but there wasn't anyone except for a few dogs barking somewhere off the streets. He didn't pay much attention to it.

He shone the torch he had brought with him to insert the outer surface. It was just as spotless as it had been this morning. Strange. Larry looked around for Jeffrey again. He spotted a figure coming towards him with hands behind her back. She was wearing a hoodie over a snapback cap that didn't let him see much of her face. He took out his phone just in case and waved for her.

"Hey!" He waved his hands awkwardly. "Uh… ma'am have you seen -"

"Hey, Bloom…" A smug voice replied.

Piper Chapman.

"What the fuck?"

She moved awfully close to him just in a matter of seconds. Before Larry could respond to her move, a steel bar was swung over his head. Hitting the back of his head. He stumbled on his feet. The torch fell off of his hand but he held onto the phone. She hit him again on the same spot. This time he fell on the concrete, his face first. He spat out blood that had gathered in his mouth.

"P-Piper?" He grunted in pain. "Why are you doing this?"

"You know why."

The last hit came harder than the previous ones. His head was forced on the concrete, grazing the side. Blood poured out as he fought for his consciousness. His senses went dark except for the constant ringing in his ears. He gripped onto his phone and managed to press the power button three times with every last bit of strength left in him. Piper titled his face up with the tip of the rod. His eyes were closed.

—

Piper had moved bodies before. But Larry was exceptionally heavy. It was hard to get him onto the boat via a very narrow plank. One inch left or right and he would be dropping into the water. All three of them struggled to drag him onto the boat. Somehow, they managed it without rousing any suspicion.

Once in the boat, Alex dragged him on to the front deck and put him on a chair. Piper pulled his hands to the back of the chair and cuffed them with a pair of hands cuffs that Nicky had gave up from her playroom. Piper was cautious even while touching it.

"Should we wake him up?" Nicky asked anxiously.

"No. You two should go back to the car." Piper tied a blindfold over his eyes. "Turn on the laptop. Once he starts talking I'll transmit the audio to you. So that we have two copies. Understand?"

"Piper, we can't leave you here alone." Alex said, worried.

"Trust me, you don't want to see this." Piper said. "And I will be fine. Go with Nicky, okay."

Alex nodded somewhat reluctantly and followed Nicky out of the boat.

Piper waited a few minutes before waking him up. She pulled on her leather hand gloves determined not to leave any evidence behind. She splashed a bucket of ice water right into his face.

He jolted awake. Panting for air. He rattled his hands unsuccessfully. He groaned in pain and held his head low as the blood rushed back to his head which was still bleeding. After several minutes of futile struggling, he gave up.

Piper sat in front of him a chair that she had pulled miserably slowly from the master cabin, making sure to leave some scratches on the hardwood flooring. She knew he would be listening to his surroundings more intently now that his eyes were blindfolded. Piper turned on the recorder.

"P-piper…" He whined. "I don't know why you are doing this but you have to let me go. Please let me go."

"We both know why you are here. I can't let you go until you tell me what I need to know." Piper calmly said.

"What?" He cried.

"Are you working for Kubra Balik?" Piper asked, close to his ear.

He stopped his whining as if something clicked back into its place. He tilted his head back and sighed. Piper was taken aback by his sudden change of behaviour. Suddenly, he was calm and collected like he had somehow anticipated this moment.

He grinned. His front tooth was missing and the rest of his teeth were drenched in blood. He spat near Piper's feet. And laughed like a psychopath. Hollow and short.

"Is that what you want, Agent Chapman? You want me to confess that I work for Balik." Larry chuckled. "I never thought you would be this stupid. Or is it the love for that drug dealing lover that's making you lose your wits, huh?"

Piper gripped the hunting knife tightly and plunged it into the flesh just above his right knee. He cried out in pain as blood spluttered out and dripped onto the floor. She left the blade to rest inside his wound so that it would hurt like hell by the smallest of movements. Larry huffed out and groaned being as still as possible.

"I was given the same training as you. I know how to handle it. You can't break me with pain, Piper."

"Then, you should know that everyone says that until the pain begins." She smirked, twisting the knife on his knee. "I am gonna ask you again-"

Larry laughed. He laughed at her. Like he was in on a joke that she didn't know. It made her uneasy. Larry was going against the predictions.

"Even if I tell you everything, even if I confess everything, who's gonna believe you? The agency hates you, the nation hates her. Who is gonna believe that an honest, well respected agent like me is involved in all this. I could get away by saying that you forced it out of me. That I said whatever you wanted me to say. What will you do then, huh?"

"You don't have to worry about that. Right now, I only want the truth." Piper said. Larry's newfound confidence was scaring the fuck out of her. He wasn't as easy as she had anticipated. And he seemed to know something that she didn't. Was he prepared for this? No way. Unless…

She heard hurried footsteps from staircase leading up to the front deck. It was Alex. She seemed worried. She came running to her and asked with concern,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Piper said, confused by her sudden appearance. "Why are you here?"

"Is that -" Larry interrupted. "Is that Alex Vause? She's here with you?" He chuckled.

"Your phone-" Alex said, ignoring him. "It isn't working. We waited for the transmission but it never came."

"What?" Piper was shocked. She took out her phone and as she had been told, it wasn't working. The screen had weird thick black spots and it wasn't responding to her touch.

"The same is happening with the laptop." Alex whispered in her ear.

"Fuck."

Larry leaned in to listen to their conversation with an amused smile. He was tied up and beaten but smug as fuck.

"It's called a network jammer. NSA grade. Piper knows how those work. I turned one on, when you hit me. Surprise, surprise-"

Piper dashed to him in pure rage. One hand on the hunting knife and other on his mouth, she pushed it further. He screamed into her hand. Screamed like a dying person as the knife moved through his muscles, twisting and cutting everything on its way. His face turned red like it was about to explode. She didn't stop until it was at least four inches inside.

"Arghh…"

"You know what we call this, Larry?" Piper said casually. "Enhanced interrogation."

Larry grunted and slithered in his chair. The pain was agonising. The blood had already soaked into his khaki chinos. It was dripping on his shiny boat floor and flowing into the river. Alex hung back, looking in the opposite direction.

"You and I we have been on this side of the table enough times to know when a person breaks. I think we are close, aren't we Larry?" Piper sat back down on her chair. She leaned in to speak to him, making sure that her words sounded effortless. "You are losing blood. A lot. If I were you, I would be worried about losing sensation in my leg. It can do lasting damage. You know that already, don't you? But… what happens when I pull it out? Should I pull it out?" Piper gripped the handle of the knife and rotated it ever so slightly.

"No! No! Stop! Please, stop!" Larry begged. He knew very well that pulling out the hunting knife will only result in rapid blood loss. He leaned back, whimpering. "You don't know what you are dealing with. You have n-no idea."

"Enlighten me." Piper put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, keeping an eye on Alex who stood pretty far with her hands folded in front of her. She looked determined to stay but uncomfortable nonetheless.

"He is a very powerful man." Larry said.

"Kubra Balik?" She prompted.

"No. Balik is just a puppet in his game." Larry scoffed.

"Who is he?" Piper screamed at his face. "Who is he! What do you do for him?"

Larry sobbed. He sobbed like a child. He was shaking as tears flowed down from underneath his blindfold.

"Oh, c'mon." She was frustrated. She gripped the knife handle and yanked it out.

His screams echoed throughout the harbour. Ear piercing screams born out of pure suffering. He was

convulsing horribly on his seat. This went on for minutes as blood poured out of his knee onto the floorboard and pooled beneath his feet.

"C'mon, Larry." Piper said. "You can stop this. You know you can stop this. Tell me what I want to know and this stops."

"No. No. No. No…" he cried.

Piper sighed. Alex had her eyes closed and face away from the scene. She could only imagine what Alex must be thinking. But, suddenly, Alex came forward determinedly. She had the steel rod in her hand.

"Do you love your boat, Larry?" Alex asked calmly.

"What?" Larry stopped crying. "What? What? What?"

"You love your boat. You came here in the middle of the night for this, right?" She continued. Piper gave her a questioning look. Alex mouthed her to remain calm. She knew a thing or two about manipulating people.

"You wouldn't! No! You wouldn't!" He cried out.

"Oh, yes, I would."

Alex swung the bar at a nearby glass panel. It shattered to pieces. Larry jerked up on his chair at the sound of it breaking. Alex did the same to all the glass panelling on the front deck one by one. Larry begged her to stop. He screamed and cried but to no avail. He jerked so hard that the handcuffs cut into his flesh.

"I love the flooring, Larry." Alex said as a matter of fact. "I am really interested in seeing what a chainsaw will do to it. We have one in our car actually. I should bring it up, huh."

"You know how to stop this. You can stop this." Piper kept saying in his ear.

"Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay." He yelled. "I'll talk. Just stop. Stop. Stop."

Piper and Alex exchanged a look and Alex dropped the bar. They patiently waited for him to fill the silence. He finally gave in with a groan.

"I am the messenger. I work between him and Kubra. I tell Kubra whatever he needs, okay? Just the information."

"The people we captured from Kubra's ring? Were you the one who gave him the locations?" Piper yelled at him.

"Yes! Yes!" Larry yelled back. "I don't regret that. Those people deserved to die anyway!"

"And the children's hospital? You knew about that too? Did they deserve to die?"

"They- they were a collateral damage! Things have to get bad before they get better!"

"Did your boss feed you those words? Or are they your own?"

"He- He is a genius. You would never understand him. He- he… once he gets what he wants, I'll be his man. Not even that stupid Kubra Balik will be there-"

"What is Kubra getting out of this deal?"

"A new identity. A new life. Here in America. Once he gets rid of Alex Vause. He is his scapegoat. He will go down just like Vause once he is done."

"So, JF wants to be a king?"

Larry looked surprised on hearing his name from Piper. He certainly hadn't expected her to know the name.

"What? You thought I don't know about him? I do, Larry. Kubra's financial records. They clearly show his involvement with this JF and the funding for the attacks."

He laughed. "You can't fool me, Piper. You wouldn't be grilling me if you had everything … you know- you know that getting Kubra won't be enough. You know that he is just a pawn. You know how powerful JF is, don't you?"

"He is fucking coward. That's for sure. Hiding behind his puppets. Keeping his hands clean."

"Only if you knew. Only if you knew." Larry scoffed. "I know why you want to get him. I know. It's about your reputation. You don't want to be wrong. But nobody believes you. Nobody believes you or your drug dealing girlfriend. So, what the hell? Yes, I am the fucking messenger. I am the one who leaked information from the agency. I am the one who framed your girlfriend. And yes, I will be one standing beside him when he wins the world. I will be the one by his side. And - and at the end of the day you two will be sick- sick terrorists who bombed a hospital full of sick children and tortured an honest agent. At the end of the day, nobody will fucking believe you!"

"This is it." Piper sighed and picked up the hunting knife from the pool of blood.

—

A/N :

Thank you so much for the reviews, likes and follows. You guys are the best. And my exam were awesome.

We are just a few chapters away. And yes, there is sort of a happy ending for Vauseman. I am a sucker for good endings.

Hope you enjoy the chapter :)


	21. Run From Me Darling

"This is it." Piper sighed and picked up the hunting knife from the pool of blood. She knelt before him and regarded his smug expression for two seconds.

One short swing. The knife went through his crocs to his left foot and into the floor. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what had happened. Then it was the screaming.

Larry was so distracted by his suffering that he didn't notice Piper taking the cuffs off of him until she dragged him up on his feet. He cried and screamed as the blood finally flowed to his legs making the agony more prominent than it was before. Piper was surprised that no one showed up even after this much screaming.

She yanked the blindfold off of his face and dragged him away from the chair to the side rails on the front. She pushed him to kneel down inches from the edge. The rails were missing their glass panelling, thanks to Alex. He was so close to the edge that if Piper pushed one inch, he would be falling face first into the Hudson River.

The blood loss had drained all his energy to fight back. He wobbled on his spot where he knelt. He closed his eyes as Piper held his arms behind his back and pushed her knee to his spine in a way that arched his back. One little push and he would be on his way down.

"Last chance, Larry." Piper said coldly. "The River is not kind this time of the night. You know that. Is he worth dying for?"

He shook his head in a no.

"I want a name. I want a motive. I want to know what he wants."

Larry nodded. It was clear in his face that he was giving up. The exhaustion caught up with him. Piper could see the wheels turning in his head.

"His-his name is Jason Figueroa." He mumbled. Out of breath and tired. "I work for Jason Figueroa. Balik works for him too."

"Jason Figueroa?" Alex exclaimed. "The next vice-president?"

"Yes and no." Larry drawled, already out of his senses. "He is going to be the next president of the most powerful country. The president of the United States."

"Larry," Piper knelt down further, "How is he going to do that?"

Larry cackled. "You can't fucking stop him. You can't. He bombed a hospital full of children. Boom! He has bugs planted in Fig's office. He is listening in on every conversation in his wife's office. He has the world's most wanted man under on his fingers. Kubra will do anything for him. He wants to be a part of this new America that Jason promised him. We-we earned billions and billions of dollars for him after the attacks. He could practically buy America if he wanted."

"How? You have to tell me, how is he going to do that?"

"The day after tomorrow." Larry slurred.

"C'mon. Don't fucking sleep on me."

"The vice-president's funeral." He mumbled. Piper gasped. "He - assassinate the president -"

A familiar cracking sound infiltrated the silent night. Before Piper could react, a bullet went through his head and he dropped in her hands.

"Get down! Get down!" Piper screamed at Alex who was equally confused. Piper let go off his hand and crawled to Alex who was barely hiding behind an out table. The sniper, wherever he was, aimed for them continuously as bullets rained all around them. "Stay down and don't fucking stop! We run at the same time but away from each other! We gotta confuse them! Is that clear?"

Alex nodded frantically.

"Run!" Piper yelled and sprinted for the stairs leading down to the shore. One last look at the boat confirmed that the splash they had heard was indeed Larry's body dropping to the river. Great, now they will be blamed for that too.

They jumped halfway through the plank onto the shore. Thankfully, the way to their car was dark and narrow. Except for the occasional bullet sounds, nothing hit them. They ran like their lives depended on it and it truly did.

"Let's go. Let's go. Let's go." Piper shouted at Nicky while sliding into the passenger's seat. Nicky waited for Alex to get in and pressed her foot hard on the gas. Her Corvette might not be the safest but was indeed a fast mode of transportation. They zoomed through the dark, empty alleyways at subsonic speed. Hair blowing in the wind and Nicky cackling like a maniac. The adrenaline still following into their heads.

Piper kept looking behind for a tail. There was no one.

"Care to tell me what happened out there, Bonnie and Clyde?" Nicky screamed at Piper's face.

"We fucking dodged bullets. Again." Alex yelled from the backseat.

"Tomorrow morning, they will probably blame us for the death of a CIA agent."

"Larry the Douchebag is dead! Holy fucking shit!" Nicky exclaimed. "At least you got his confession on record?"

"No." Alex said.

"Yes!" Piper shouted.

"What? How?" Alex leaned forward to the passenger's seat. Piper grinned seeing the shock on both Nicky and Alex's face. She pulled out a box looking thing out of her jacket pocket. Nicky recognised it immediately.

"The sound recorder?!" She shouted.

"But-" Alex started.

"The network jammer works on digital devices. Not something as old as this. It's an old school tape recorder. I pocketed it back at your place. But I forgot about it until he mentioned the network jammer. I had it in my pocket the whole time."

"Holy shit!" Alex guffawed.

"This is gold, Chapman. This is gol-"

The next thing Alex saw was not Nicky's megawatt grin but a blinding headlight coming right at them from their right on an intersecting street.

"Nicky!"

It was too late. Nicky had already crashed into the jeep ahead of them that appeared out of nowhere. It sent both the cars into a spiral. For Alex, it all happened too fast and too slow. Metal crashing into metal. A burning smell. Screams. The car spiraling out of control. Then a halt.

The flawless corvette was covered in black smoke. Alex who had instinctively closed her eyes, opened them to find shattered windshield. Nicky's head was through the glass despite the airbags. She was thrown out of her seat, held back by only the seat belt. Slow stream of blood on the side of her head could be seen even in the moonlight.

Piper, on the other hand, wasn't moving at all. Her head was on the dashboard. Looking closer, Alex could see the blood covering one side of her face. Alex scrambled out of her seat in the back. The impact on her body was cushioned by the back of Piper's seat. She reached for Piper. But from the corner of her eyes, she saw a man getting out of that jeep, few feet away from them. The driver of the jeep. The familiar figure clicked instantly in her brain. The accident was intentional. It was Aydin.

Alex halted her movements all together. Her face was between Piper's right leg and the gear stick. She closed her eyes. _Think. Think. Think. _She'll have to play it smart. She could see him limping towards them from a small gap. _Piper's gun. _

She knew for a fact that Piper's gun would be tucked in her back. She slowly reached for it with her left hand, keeping an eye on Aydin. He was getting close steadily despite of his injured leg. She found the gun easily and yanked it away. Slowly pulling her hand down, she transferred the gun to her right hand. Her head was down, her body bent over, hiding her movements as she tried to remember the brief rundown Piper had given her.

_Okay. Okay. Okay. _

_The safety. Turn off the safety. Where's the fucking safety. Found it. Found it. Is this loaded? Fuck, what if it's empty? Piper would never carry an empty gun. Shit. Shit. Shit. _

_Do not hesitate. Do not hesitate. _

_Breath. Breath. _

_Aim and shoot. _

Alex felt the adrenaline rushing to her head. She sat up suddenly and aimed the gun to Aydin who wasn't expecting her at all. She pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was loud. But the bullet didn't hit Aydin. Alex pulled the trigger again. She missed. He was too far.

Aydin - to his disadvantage - was out in the open without any cover. He made a split second decision to fire back. But she fired again. Missed. Again. Missed.

"Fuck!"

The sixth time Alex pulled the trigger, it was a do or die situation. He had her gun out when she shot. And this time the bullet hit something. Flesh. Perhaps bone. It hit his right shoulder. It wasn't a good shot but it was good enough to throw him backwards on the street with his gun flying meters away from him.

Alex exhaled heavily. She was starting to panic. The smoke on the car's front was not good. It could explode any minute. She jumped out of the car and went straight to Piper's side. She was still unconscious. She tapped her face a few times to wake her but it was futile. She opened the seat belt and collected Piper in her arms. She half carried her to the side of the road and dropped her on wildgrass.

Next was Nicky. Nicky looked more severe up close. Her head was bleeding. Half of her body was thrown out of the windshield onto the bonnet. Alex pulled her back as carefully as she could. Glass shards still sticking out of her forehead. She touched the side of her neck and felt a weak pulse. She breathed in relief. She carried Nicky back to where Piper was. Piper was still out.

"C'mon, Pipes, c'mon," Alex prayed, slapping her cheek for some kind of response. "Wake up goddammit! Wake up!"

Her prayer was interrupted by a loud groan that came from the way where she had left Aydin. He was crawling. Alex panicked. She searched Piper's pocket for weapons. She took out a pocket knife and picked up a log on the side of the road. She didn't want to kill him. She was not going to kill him.

He was crawling to his gun that was thrown away a few feet from him. Alex came from behind and hit him on the head with the log. He rolled over and landed on his back. The blow wasn't hard enough.

"I don't want to fucking kill you!" Alex said. "Just stay where you are!"

"You have to kill me to stop me." Aydin said through gritted teeth.

Alex swung the log aiming for his head again. But he was ready for the blow. He grabbed the end of the log with both of his hands and yanked with all his strength. Alex slipped and fell forward. He moved away in time for Alex to hit the road. He sat on top of her as soon as she rolled over. He punched her and brought the log to her throat. And pressed. It took the breath away from Alex. He was strangling her. The lack of air froze her senses. She was kicking her legs but to no avail. He was ruthless. He didn't move an inch and pressed the log further. _The knife. _Alex in one last move, took out the pocket knife and stabbed it into his left side as hard as she could.

He screamed in pain and loosened his grip on her. Alex remembered how Piper had twisted the knife on Larry to cause more pain, so she did the same. She twisted it hard inside his flesh. It felt awful doing it but it worked. He let the log go. He rolled away from her and pulled the knife out and threw it away. But the adrenaline rush had given Alex the extra speed she needed. She got on top of him and used the same log on him.

She pushed it on his throat. As hard as she could. He fought back. His arms tried to grab her but his shoulder was already busted. She pressed harder when he kicked his leg. The moonlight gave an eerie glow to his face. Alex was trying so hard that tears flowed down from her face. She was literally squeezing the life out of someone. Not someone -him. She knew him. He was a friend once. And She could see his face turning a darker shade of red then blue and purple. She could see the life leaving his eyes second by second as his movements died down. He gasped for air but she didn't remove the log. She didn't remove it his movements stopped. She didn't remove it even when there was no life left in his eyes. She just kept staring at his lifeless face and pushing harder. Thinking that she was just as dead as he was.

—

A/N :

Thanks for the amazing reviews. And by few more chapters I meant at least seven chapters. Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me :)

Did you like this? Let me know.


	22. Knocking on heaven's door

Piper woke up coughing blood. The unfamiliar surroundings made her panic. She saw Nicky laying down beside her. Covered in blood and glass shards. She got up on her elbow and searched for Alex. Her eyes were still disoriented from the crash. She heard the sounds of struggling from the street ahead.

She reached for her gun. It wasn't there. Neither was her pocket knife. She stood up mustering all the energy she had. From that point, she could see Alex had someone pinned to the road. Someone beneath her. And that someone wasn't moving. Piper hurried towards her.

Alex was on top of Aydin's body. She was pressing a piece of log to his throat. Piper could see that he wasn't moving. She looked around before putting a hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex freaked out immediately. She turned around with intention to hit whoever touched her. Piper stepped backwards just in time.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa." Piper held her hands above her head. "It's just me. It's just me."

Alex exhaled in relief. She let go of Aydin and stood up to hug Piper tightly.

"He-he tried to kill me." She said into the crook of her neck. "I had-"

Piper embraced her closely. Holding her in her arms.

"It's okay." She said. "It's okay. You did what you had to do. And you did a good job. I am proud of you." She pulled back to look at her face. She wiped away some stray tears with her thumb. "We have to take Nick to a hospital. She needs help."

Alex nodded.

"Take the guns and the tape. I'll get Nick in his car. Go." Piper ordered.

Piper understood why Alex was so shook. She was not trained to deal with high pressure situations with violence. She was not trained to kill people and move on.

Alex collected the tape and the guns avoiding his body as much as possible while Piper carried Nicky to the back of his jeep. It seemed less damaged than their own car. Once inside, she told Alex to get in the car as well.

She dragged Aydin's body to the Corvette and put him inside the car. The fuel leaking from the car was already pooled under its tyres. Nicky would hate her for this but she had no choice. She had to dispose of the body. So she stepped back and threw a lighter in the fuel. The fire caught instantly.

—

They drove around a bit trying to find a hospital. Nicky's bleeding had stopped and her pulse seemed a bit stronger. Piper was driving the beat up jeep with Alex in the back and Nicky on her lap. They were exhausted. Alex was falling asleep and Piper herself felt soreness in her muscles. She kept an eye on both of them from her rearview mirror.

"How are we going to do this?" Alex finally asked. "Are we going to just drop her in front of a hospital?"

"No."

"You know, Red will kill us for this if Kubra doesn't."

"I do know that." Piper said absentmindedly. She pulled over in front of a hospital's ER. She got out and tugged Nicky away from Alex. "You wait here."

Alex agreed and hung back in the car. Piper carried Nicky to the entrance and called for help. Medical professionals swarmed to help. Piper handed her over to the nurses. Alex saw her talking to a doctor and then leaving hastily to come to their car.

Piper got in the driver's seat and sighed. Her shoulders slumped forward and she laid her head on the steering wheel. Alex climbed back into the front passenger's seat.

"You okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Piper replied without lifting her head.

"Do you need to sleep?" Alex asked, concerned. "Let me drive-"

"No. You are half-asleep yourself. I'll drive. There's a motel just half a mile from here. We should go there. Catch some sleep. Then we will do -"

"What are we going to do?"

"I think I should call Caputo. This is huge. I can't deal with this alone. And I trust him. I'll tell him a place to meet and hand over the tape. He will know what to do."

"Okay." She agreed. "We should use a pay phone."

"Yeah. I'll stop at the next one."

The sun was coming up. It's rays painted their surroundings in a red glow. Piper drove through empty New York streets towards less crowded outer city. The hotel owner owed her a favour so hopefully there won't be a problem at this time of the morning.

Alex was dozing off on the car window. Her eyes were closed. She looked almost peaceful. Almost. The crease on her forehead was more evident than ever. Like she was in pain. Like she was hurt. Piper wanted to reach over and smooth it out.

When Piper pulled over near a pay phone, Alex jolted awake. The dashboard clock read 5:17. Caputo should be at home by now.

She dialed his number and waited anxiously for him to pick up. He picked up on the sixth ring.

"Joe Caputo, speaking -"

"It's Piper Chapman. Are you alone?"

—

They had went to bed late that night. They meaning Caputo and Figueroa. She had shown up at his door late at night with a bottle of wine and horny eyes. And Joe could never say no to a damsel in distress.

They had formed this weird relationship of care and concern for each other after heated arguments in their office. Caputo knew that her husband - the next VP - was an absent man. He didn't care much about her. He was a man after power and she was just there to keep him company.

Their weird relationship had flourished into a sex fueled affair. He enjoyed it and so did she. So, when she showed up late that night, he opened his doors wide for her. He let her in and just as the doors closed, she was on top of him. Kissing him hungrily on the hallway wall. And he being the generous lover, treated her with the roughness she craved. They christened the couch, the kitchen top and the bed. And then fell asleep in each other's arm.

He was irritated to say the least when his phone rang in the early hours of morning. He grumbled in frustration and slipped out of her arms to pick up the call. He sat on the edge of the bed and put the call on speaker.

"Joe Caputo speaking-"

"It's Piper Chapman. Are you alone?"

Joe glanced at Natalie who was wide awake now. She shifted closer to him and signaled to go on. He nodded and said,

"Yes-"

"Good." She paused. "What I am going to tell you - will probably sound ridiculous but you have to trust me, alright, you have to promise that'll you will trust me-"

"Chapman, hold on, hold on, do you have any idea about the consequences of your actions? It's been total fucking disaster, the bombing and CIA agent going rouge. And you expect me to listen to this bullshit-"

"Caputo, Alex is not responsible for the bombing. But I know who is. And we have the proof. We can prove it."

Caputo glanced at Natalie. She nodded.

"Who is it? I need a name!"

"For starters, Larry Bloom worked for the other side the whole time." She paused, letting the information sink in.

"Larry Bloom? Chapman, those are some heavy accusations."

She laughed. "You haven't heard the end of it yet. The mastermind behind all of this is not Kubra Balik. He's just a pawn like Larry and Alex."

"Are you sure? How do you know all this?"

"I have a confession tape from Larry Bloom. We interrogated him last night."

"Where is he? Is he with you?"

"No. Uh- he- they killed him."

"Killed him? They Killed him?"

"Yes. Like they did with everyone else associated with him. Why is that so hard to believe? Caputo, this is serious. We don't really have much time. If you don't stop this now, it will be too late."

"Okay. Okay. But I need to know who is behind all of this. I need a name-"

"Jason Figueroa."

Caputo gaped. "Are you fucking with me? Jason Figueroa?"

"Uh-huh. And he plans to assassinate the president."

"Jason Figueroa the next Vice President."

"Yes. And I have proof." Piper reassured. "But I need your word that you will be on our side. He's a powerful man. You have to get him. I don't know what you'll do but you have to stop him. And you have to protect Alex."

"Okay. Okay. What do you need?"

"Meet me. Central Park. The usual place. Today, four in the evening."

"Will you bring Alex Vause?"

"No. Neither will I bring the tape. You'll listen to it through a call. I can't trust the agency. And you need to come alone."

"Chapman, it's - it's - I will have to inform Figueroa. She's my superior and -"

"What? Fuck No. Go to the Director if you need. Not Figueroa. He's her husband. He has bugs planted in her office. What if she's involved? "

"But-"

"Please, Joe. You have to trust me. Just meet me. I'll explain it. Everything."

"4 PM. I'll be there."

Joe hung up. There's a gun under his bed. Natalie knew it. He knew it. If he turned around and pull it out, she'll have enough time to run away. Maybe, she'll hit him with the night lamp. Fuck it, he thought.

He bent over, pulled out the gun and aimed it where she was laying on the bed. She looked at him like she was bored. She wasn't alarmed or surprised by his actions. She was just.

"Are you done, Joe?"

"No, I am not done. Are you with him? Have you known all along?"

"For god's sake Joe, you believe her now. She is blaming my husband. He is going to be the next VP. He can't have an erection long enough to notice. There's no way he did all that."

"This is serious, Natalie."

"And you are naked. With a gun pointed at me. Joe, I am hearing about this for the first time as well. I had no idea. But fine, if you are confident in your rogue agent, let's go check my office. See if anyone has planted a bug."

Her phone rang, suddenly. Caputo held up the gun more firmly.

"Who is it?" He demanded.

"It's my assistant. Christ!" She said and picked up the call. She nodded on whatever was being said on the other end. Caputo listened in with eager interest. She hung up soon enough.

"Larry Bloom is dead indeed. They recovered his body floating on the backs of the Hudson. By appearance, he was tortured before being shot. Two stab wounds on knee and foot."

"Then let's go. Let's search your office."

The drive from Joe's place to the CIA field office was intense to say the least. Caputo never left Fig's side. He followed her through the hallways where agents had their eyebrows raised at their early morning appearance together.

In her office, the initial sweep done by Caputo proved that there were microphones placed in her office. When he pulled them out from under her desk with a smug smile, she was literally surprised. From experience, he knew that she wasn't faking it.

"This is serious." She said.

"Indeed."

—

He was there for a charity event. But the press was way too much for his liking. The news of him being the next VP had gotten out like wildfire. Surprisingly, the president was happy with it. It had boosted the morale of the people after the horrible attacks. Attacks he had orchestrated.

But he had no choice. He had waited long enough. This country wasn't going to move forward unless someone stood up and took the hard decisions. And he was that person. He was groomed to be a President. The time in the army and boarding school and stuffy country club brunches were to set up his future. Which in turn would set up the future of this country. Soon his great vision for America would be executed. Soon enough.

He left the party earlier in favour of going to an art exhibition nearby. He pulled on his baseball cap and walked to the gallery with secret service watching his back. He wandered a bit. But then stopped in front of Fransisco Goya's _Saturn devouring his son._

From the corner of his eye he saw his assistant- Gavin come in. Gavin has been his assistant for quite some time now. He was more of a companion when Natalie wasn't around. Or when he wasn't around Natalie. Gavin understood his vision. And always supported it in ways Natalie never could.

"What is it?" He asked, not looking away from the painting.

"Bloom died last night. They found his body in the Hudson River. Tortured and shot."

He closed his eyes for a second. His stagnant face contrasting the horror of the painting in front of him.

"By whom?"

"The torture was most probably afflicted by Alex Vause and her ally Piper Chapman. And as Balik confirmed this morning, Aydin shot him."

"What about Alex Vause?"

"Balik doesn't have her. Neither does the agency. His guy was strangled to death in the middle of the street while pursuing them."

"This is going to be a problem -"

"One more thing, sir. Natalie-" Gavin paused. "Miss Figueroa was with Joe Caputo this morning. And they - uh - they received a call from Piper Chapman claiming that she has a confession tape from Larry Bloom. And they- they have your name. She is willing to cooperate with them if they move against you. They are meeting at Central Park this evening."

"We have to choose our battles carefully. Especially when we are so close to our goal. As much damage control as possible. I will handle Caputo and Natalie personally. Destroy Vause, Chapman and the evidence. Do we have a location on them?"

"Yes. Aydin had a tracker on his car. They are staying at a motel."

"That's good. Send in the A-team when the agent isn't there. It would be easier to finish Vause alone. The agent wouldn't be stupid enough to carry the tape with her. Finish them. I want this over as soon as possible."

"What about Balik? Should we cut him loose? It's almost time and he has been useless for a while now."

"No, not yet." He said firmly. "Get rid of Vause and Chapman first."

—

A/N:

I was watching this YouTube video a while ago and the host something in the lines of, "The best fanfics are the unfinished ones." And I agree. I remember reading this Vauseman story involving time travel. It was literally so good. So good that I would probably pay to read it. But it never got updated. What's your favourite story that ever got updated?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know in the comments :)


	23. We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow

Piper pulled over in front of a shady motel. Alex pulled on the sunglasses and a hat to go to the front desk. The early hours of morning worked in their favour. The receptionist was half asleep when they asked for a room with twin beds. The receptionist handed them the key card without even looking up.

They chose a room right in front. Mostly due to easy escape and good vantage point. The moment Alex opened the door, Piper lunged in to the bed. Face down, she exhaled in relief.

"God… I missed a real bed." Piper said into the blanket. "This is so soft."

Alex chuckled at her nuances. "You slept in Nicky's bed." She taped their prized audiotape to top of their dresser from inside. A safe place she had discovered in the drug business.

"Yeah. But this more soft. And clean." Piper got up an elbow, smiling at an amused Alex. "C'mon. Get down-" she reached for her wrist and tugged her.

"I have my - Ouch!" Alex exclaimed. Piper had tugged a little too hard causing her to fall on the bed. "You. Are. A. Dork."

"But I am cute." Piper said with an innocent smile.

Alex scoffed and laid beside her properly on the tiny bed. She kept a small gap. Mostly due to uncertainty. But Piper raised an eyebrow asking a silent question,

_Should I? _

Alex succumbed. Giving permission to her to get close. And she was glad she did. Because Piper slid closer like she was starving for her touch. They laid in the small bed side by side. Comfortably. After a long time, it felt like they were safe.

"Do you think Nicky will be okay?" Piper broke the silence in a barely audible voice.

"She is a tough kid. And you called Red, right. I am sure she will be okay, Pipes."

"Will we be okay?" Piper asked next.

Alex smiled at the undertone her question has. She knows what Piper's asking about. Not today. Not tomorrow. But them in the long run. Will they be okay? And to be honest, Alex doesn't know it herself. She is still not sure about any of this. Yes, she wanted to love Piper, wanted to be close but - she would have to trust her again. With her fears and dreams, she would have to trust her again. And she knows the real danger - she has heard enough lies that she can't recognise the truth anymore. The truth that she still loves her and loves being loved by her.

Alex ignored the undertone of the question and decided to give Piper something else instead.

"I can't close my eyes." She said. Piper looked at her attentively. "I tried. Back in the car. Every time I close my eyes I see him. Aydin. He's just beneath me and I am strangling him. I see his red face and his dead eyes. I know, this sounds stupid b-"

"Al," Piper interrupted,her eyes soft and fingers tracing the tattoo on her arm. "It's not stupid."

"But I can't get him out of my fucking head." Alex released a frustrated sigh. "He had a family. They should be able be to mourn him. Nobody should die like that."

"Yeah, well, he should have thought of that before he became a contract killer for Kubra."

"Before he became a henchman, he used to work at a eurotrash clothing store." She laughed softly. "Before he tried to kill me, he didn't kill me. We went out drinking sometime. Me and Aydin and Haluk. They were decent dancers and big tippers. I took his life, Piper. I killed him. He was coming for us and I just- I just thought I couldn't let him hurt you. Or Nicky. I just wanted him to stop."

Piper could see the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She held her closer, held her hand and rubbed her hand in her back. It broke her to see Alex like this. It angered her that she hadn't been there. That Alex had to do something like that.

"I fought him. He wouldn't give up. He kept coming and I kept fighting. Then I was taking his life. I was so angry and sad and frustrated that I just kept going. I get it now. That night in the hospital. How you couldn't stop. I couldn't stop either. I kept going till he was d-dead. And now I have to live with it." She sniffed. "Does it get easier? The pain. The guilt. I mean, you do it all the time. Does it get easy, Pipes?"

"No." Piper answered honestly. "It doesn't get easy. It's always hard. You don't kill someone and forget even if they were there to kill you in the first place. And believe me, it's a good thing. It's better to feel pain than nothing at all."

"Then how?" Alex asked. "How do you do it? How do you live knowing that you killed someone?"

Piper smiled gently and wiped away a stray tear from Alex's cheek. "I often think about what would have happened if I hadn't done anything. If I had not fought someone and put them down, then they could have hurt people I care about. If there's anything that makes it feel like worth it - hold onto to it. What could have happened if you hadn't stopped him? Hold onto that part."

Alex thought about how ruthless he was. How merciless. What would've happened if she had given up? He would have certainly killed her and Piper and Nicky. He would have burned them all. Alex could never live with knowing that she didn't do everything she could. It takes off the guilt a little bit. And she is thankful that she isn't here alone.

"I miss heroine-" Alex started.

"Al-" Piper got up. Her eyes widening in worry.

"No. Just hear me out. I miss heroine. Doesn't mean I'll do it. I just -" she grunted. "All these thoughts, I would rather not think anymore. Do you think this is over?"

"This?"

"This whole thing. Feels like we've been living in this chaos for a decade. Do you think we are on the other side of it?"

"I would like to think that we are. They usually like things wrapped up quickly. But I don't know."

"You know what I am ready for? Things to be easy…" Alex absentmindedly touched a bandaid on Piper's forehead.

"We could do easy -"

Alex scoffed. "I'm not buying it."

"We could try. We could be like old people. Talk about articles and eat soup and hold hands on the slow stroll to the ass doctor for colonoscopies."

Alex laughed and placed her head on Piper's shoulder, looking up at the weary ceiling. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly in Piper's scent. It was comforting.

"Diane would be proud." Piper said gently caressing Alex's hair.

"Proud of what?" Alex said. Her voice barely audible.

"That you feel bad about killing him even though you were just trying to defend yourself. That you know what's good and what's bad. That you are a really nice person in your heart."

Alex stayed silent for a while. "Pipes…" She said. "That's very cheesy. And mum does say cheesy stuff like that. So thank you."

Piper smiled and let herself get drowned in the comfortable silence that preceded. But Alex slightly shifted to her left to face Piper. She had this zen look on her face that Piper had only seen in times of vulnerability. And she knew that the look meant that Alex has given it a lot of thought.

"About us - what I said before - when this is all over, I would really like to give us a chance." Alex bit her lower lip in anticipation.

"Okay." Piper simply answered.

"I would like it to be my choice. I would like to be with you because I wanted it. Not because of the agency or the circumstances. I would like it to be real this time. And honest. And perhaps it will take some time. But I would really like to have that chance."

"Okay." Piper smiled and kissed Alex on her jawline tenderly. This was something. This meant that Alex was not giving up on them. And that they might get to where they were before.

Alex looked at her like she wanted to say something more. Like she was barely holding it back.

"What?" Piper asked softly.

"I am glad we have each other in this mess."

"Me too. I mean I would rather be on a beach in Tahiti but this is a close second." Piper joked.

Alex looked over and grinned, Piper couldn't help it, she smiled.

"I heart you." Alex said.

"What is that? Like I love you for pussies."

"Say pussy again."

"I heart you too."

Piper's heart was spinning in circles like it was electrocuted. They laid there like that in what seemed like a safe haven. Just quiet and there. No words, only their eyes filled with contentment.

—-

"You are sure you want to stay here." Piper asked one last time. She was ready with her car keys, her gun and her phone.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Besides you said that you don't trust them. It's safer if I am here." Alex set a burner phone and the audio player side by side.

"Yeah. That's - that's right." Piper said. "Just stay safe. And remember to-"

"-just pick up the call, remain silent and play the tape for less than 30 seconds. You have said that like 10 times already." Alex said in a bored voice.

"I don't want to fuck this up." Piper sighed.

"And you won't. We will be okay. Go now or you will be late." Alex came close and kissed the top of Piper's head.

"Stay safe." Piper said, closing the door.

"You too." Alex replied.

—

Alex had devised the plan that she should stay behind. Piper had gotten along with it. It was a good plan. The tape was the only leverage they had and it would be foolish to bring it with her to Caputo no matter how trustworthy he was. But now, walking through Central Park, she was anxious about Alex. Leaving Alex behind again didn't feel so good. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

Their usual spot in the Park was already occupied by Caputo. He was leaning against the steel net in his black long coat, a muffled wrapped around his neck looking over the softball pitch. Kids were playing around. Everything looked normal. Piper checked for covert agents in civil dresses. There were none.

She walked up to him and stood on his right side. He nodded sideways in acknowledgment.

"You came alone?" Piper asked.

"Like you said." He replied. "I wasn't certain that you would show up. And since you have, I believe your accusations are serious."

"They are, Joe."

"Do you have it? The evidence. Because if this is serious, we will have to act soon."

"I don't have it on me. I need assurance that Alex will be safe."

"She will be. If what you say is true, you have my word that the agency will do everything in its power to keep her safe."

"Okay. I am going to call her and you will listen to a part of the tape. Then we will discuss how to proceed."

"That'll work for me."

Piper pulled out her phone and dialed for Alex. It rang for more than 30 seconds. She waited for her to pick up the call. She didn't.

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath.

"What happened?" Caputo asked, worried.

"She is not picking up."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Caputo shouted.

"Just wait, alright!"

Piper tried again. It went straight to voicemail. This wasn't normal. Alex would never miss this intentionally. Something must be wrong. Horribly wrong. She tried again. This time someone picked up.

"Hello, Ms. Chapman…" An articulate voice spoke on the other side. She had heard that voice before. On television, precisely. And hearing that voice again sent chills down her spine. "I believe you are capable of understanding how crucial the situation is for you and your girlfriend. I know you are meeting with Joe Caputo right now. But I have someone you will not want to lose."

Piper walked farther away from Caputo.

"I want to hear her voice."

"As you wish…" he said and the next voice that came made Piper dug her nails into her palm. "I am okay, kid." Alex said in a weak voice.

"Now, Ms. Chapman, I have Ms. Vause but I don't have the tape. I would advise you to follow my instructions as closely as possible. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

—

A/N:

You all are lovely people. Can't thank you enough for the response. Some of the titles were so nostalgic that I had to go back and read them. Now the questions;

\- Am I trying to abandon this story?

Nope. No way.

\- Is there any character death?

Not any of the main ones.

\- Is Nicky gonna be okay?

You'll have to find out.

\- Will I write anything after this?

I don't know. I have some ideas but still no plot to write. However, if I do write something I'll let you know by the end of this book.

That was all. Have a good day :)


	24. Gone, Gone, Gone

Alex had felt fear countable times in her life. She hated it every time. It makes her feel weak. It crawls through her spine, leaving scratches and settles deep inside of her brain. It's roots go deep and it dictates her every move. It takes away control from her. It spreads and spreads until she breaks. That's how she felt right now. Like she was breaking.

After Piper had closed the door, she felt it slithering in her back. She diminished it by not paying much attention. She locked the door and flopped onto the bed. The room felt eerie all of a sudden and an empty feeling grasped her chest. She was good at being a loner but it had been hard since she met Piper.

She picked up one of the generic books on the nightstand and tried to read a bit. But the sudden movements outside caught her attention immediately. She heard some heavy vehicles pulling over in front. She got up and peeked through the window.

Two black SUVs had stopped in front of the room. Men in combat gear were marching out as if on an official raid. But Alex knew that they were there for her. She sprinted to check the door lock then to the drawer where she had hid the tape. The gun was beneath the pillow as Piper had told her to keep but Alex knew that it would not be very wise at the moment. There were too many of them.

She dashed to the bathroom vent for possible escape but the boots had already marched to the door. She heard them knock and before she could respond the lock turned and men in black marched in with guns pointing at her.

"Get down! Get down! Get down on the ground!" They shouted so loud it deafened her ears. She could see the flashlights on her face and the room filling up with more and more man.

She couldn't believe that this was all for her. This much weaponry was not needed when she somewhat willingly went down on her knees and held her hands above her head. But then again she and Piper had done quite some damage to their plans.

A man twisted her hands behind her back and handcuffed her. Another one shone a torch on her face. She flinched at the brightness. A huge guy walked forward with an air of authority and got on one knee to look at her. She was disgusted by how close he dared to come. He pulled away his gas mask and grinned like the devil. He pressed switched on the radio on his shoulder and spoke in an arrogant voice,

"This is Captain Piscatella. We have the target in custody. Over."

"Good job, Captain. Sending in the eagle in three. Over." The other end replied.

Alex was surprised at how official all these seemed. If Jason was this powerful now, what would he do once he tastes real power. And whoever he was, he was coming in now. The captain moved away from her and stood by the door making way for Figueroa.

Jason Figueroa turned out to be another generic face of politics. His greyish hair was neatly groomed and thousand dollar tailored suit did nothing but intensified his better-than-thou face. He walked in with a smirk on his face like he won some competition.

"The enigmatic Alex Vause, finally we meet." He said looking down at her. "You have been so infuriating to me -"

"I am aware of that. However I am surprised that you showed up." Alex smirked. "I didn't take you for a greeting hands dirty kind of guy."

"Thanks to your boss's incompetence and your unwillingness to just give up actually forced me to take things in my hand. I hope your girlfriend is not hiding in here waiting to attack us." He laughed.

"You wouldn't be making that joke if she were here." Alex said with a smug smile. "You waited for her to go away because you are a fucking coward."

A gloved fist landed across her cheek. She clenched her teeth trying not to show any weakness but she could taste the blood on her lips. Her glasses were askew but she could still see somewhat distorted smug face of Piscatella.

"You should choose your words more carefully now Vause, shouldn't you? You have been in the business long enough to know that." Jason Tucker her hair behind her ear creepily. "Now, I expect you to be wiser. You have two choices. One, I know you know where the tape is. You just give it up. I let you go unscathed with new identities and new lives. You don't have to be a hero for someone who lied to you, manipulated you, fooled you."

The pragmatist in Alex agreed. Her survival instinct screaming at her to give up. What a way to get back at Piper for lying to her. It would ruin her, her name, her career, her country. But Alex didn't actually want that. For all that they have been through, she realised she didn't actually want to live without Piper. Because without Piper it would actually be just surviving. And life should be about more than just surviving.

"No. I don't k-know where the tape is?" Alex tried to look as convincing as possible.

"Option two then-"

"Sir," a man clad in black suit interrupted holding a phone - her phone. "Someone has been calling-"

Jason grabbed the phone with a smirk.

"You better pray your girlfriend chooses her words more carefully." He said before picking up.

"Hello, Ms. Chapman…I believe you are capable of understanding how crucial the situation is for you and your girlfriend. I know you are meeting with Joe Caputo right now. But I have someone you will not want to lose."

"I want to hear her voice." Alex heard her saying quite shakily.

"As you wish…" he said.

"I am okay, kid." Alex said trying to sound strong.

"Now, Ms. Chapman, I have Ms. Vause but I don't have the tape. I would advise you to follow my instructions as closely as possible. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

—

"If you want to see your girlfriend alive, you are going to walk away from this meeting and bring the tape to the address written on your motel room wall at 9 O' clock. You must not talk to anyone about this because if you do, I'll know. And that will result in excruciating for Alex here if I remember the sequence correctly. What was it again with Bloom - stab wound to the knee, foot and then finally a headshot. I hope you don't want that with your girlfriend."

Piper's breath hitched in her throat by the thought of anything happening to Alex.

"No but I have one condition." She signaled to an anxious Caputo that everything was okay.

"Ms. Chapman, you should understand that this is not a negotiation -"

"And you don't understand what I am capable of with the tape."

"Very well then. What do you want?"

"I will only hand to tape to you."

"Oh, I would be there. You have been a pain in the ass for so long, I can't wait to meet you. You hand me the tape and I will give you a chance to leave this country forever and start a life with a clean slate."

"You promised Kubra the same thing."

"9 PM, Ms. Chapman." He hung up. She kept staring at the phone until Caputo came and shook her.

"Where the fuck is it, Chapman?" He said angrily.

"Caputo," Piper retreated her steps. "I am sorry but I can't do this right now."

She walked backwards into the crowd as Caputo tried to contemplate the situation with a gaping mouth.

"If you walk away now, you will lose every bit of faith I had in you." He said firmly.

"Believe me, I don't want to. But I have to."

"This is a mistake, Chapman. A fucking mistake." He shouted after her as she got lost in the evening crowd.

—

Piper drove to the motel in a car she borrowed by showing off a fake FBI badge. Her face was crimson and hands shaking. She gripped the steering wheel as hard as she could. Mostly, she was angry at herself. How the fuck did she miss that? It was her fault. She put Alex in that situation. It was stupid fucking mistake to use Aydin's car. Of course, they would recognise it. She should have known that.

Piper was trained for high pressure situations but having her love at stake made the situation ten times harder. She couldn't stop imagining Alex. If he is keeping her alive then he must be desperate for the tape. And Alex didn't have to be. She could have negotiated a sweet deal if she wanted. But she didn't. She didn't screw over Piper.

Piper pulled over haphazardly in front of the motel. Their room door was closed shut. Everything looked normal. There was no sign of anyone else. Piper walked inside with her heart thumping loudly.

The mattresses were flipped over. Nighlamp discarded. Pillows shredded. The television set was ripped off of the wall and tables were moved to the side. The drawers were left open. It was evident that there searched every inch of their room. The same room that felt like a safe haven a few hours ago, now felt like chaos and violence.

But what horrified Piper was a note left on the bed. It was covered in blood from one corner and an address was written on it in Alex's handwriting. Piper picked it up. She immediately recognised the address as an abandoned warehouse near the harbour.

She sat on the edge of the bed and allowed herself to feel the overwhelming stress. The stress however dissolved out in the form of tears. She let herself cry for a few minutes. This was not just a mission. This was about the love of her life. About Alex. Alex who helped her find herself. She didn't know who she was without Alex and before Alex. She gripped the note tightly in her fist and wiped away the last of her tears. She should get back to work. Get the objectives with minimum damage.

First the Tape. She knew that Alex had taped it beneath the drawer. That's what they used to do with their valuable things back when they travelled. It had worked for them every time. And it certainly worked for them now.

Piper got up and slid her hand under the top surface of the drawer and indeed she found the tape. She tucked it safely into her jacket pocket and left the room with a loosely thought out plan with only one one objective - Get Alex back safely.

—

The hospital at this time of day was crowded with patients and doctors and nurses. Piper went in through the ER doors wearing a cap and a hood pulled over her head. She stood in a corner and paid close attention to every personnel. None of them seemed suspicious.

She followed a nurse to the dressing room. She waited for the nurse to get out and held the door as it was closing. She unlocked an open locker and quickly changed into a pair of scrubs and surgical mask and tucked a manila envelope into her waistband. She looked through the list of patients and their assigned rooms on the nurses' desk.

She took determined steps towards Nicky's room only to be halted by a predatory looking Red guarding Nicky's door. Piper stopped in her tracks abruptly and that didn't go unnoticed by Red. She turned towards her and looked straight into her eyes. She definitely recognised her because her face looked like she was barely holding back from strangling Piper right then and there.

Piper gulped her fears for the sake of the mission. She walked slowly with her head held high.

"Brave of you to show up." Red said, her eyes never leaving Piper's (not even blinking).

Piper sighed. "How is she doing?"

"Alive. Would have been much better if it weren't for you-"

"Look, Red, I am sorry. But Nick chose this. She was aware of the risks and she chose."

"So what?!" Red yelled through gritted teeth. "You put her life in danger-"

"MA!" Nicky shouted from inside the room. "Just let her come in, would ya?"

Piper didn't wait for Red to respond as she stormed past her in a blink of an eye. But oh boy, that was a mistake.

Nicky's hands, to say the least, were preoccupied. Inside someone - a nurse (a naked nurse). And Piper's entry caused the nurse to jump closer to Nick creating a not so PG scene in front of her.

"Jesus Christ! Nick! Would you just…just wrap it up-" Piper closed her eyes turning to face the wall.

"Oh Chapman, you're in already. I thought Red would beat you to a pulp first." Nicky said amusedly. "You are just in time to meet Sophie. She's been keeping me company. Go sweetheart put on some clothes for a while."

The nurse - Sophie climbed out of bed and retreated towards the bathroom leaving flying kisses to Nicky.

"I can't fucking believe you Nick." Piper said once Sophie was out of sight.

"What? She saved your life. If it wasn't for her, Red would be running in with a frying pan to hit you. She can't even come in because she's seen more obscenity than you." Nicky sat up a little bit straight.

Piper sighed and sat near the edge of the bed.

"I am glad you're okay." She said seriously.

"Me too, blondie. It was a fun ride." Nicky smiled. "But I don't think you're here for that. What is it? And where's your lady love?"

Piper looked down to her hands. "They - they have Alex."

"Holy sh-"

"I know. He wants the tape. But I don't think he will let us go even if we give him the tape. He wants us dead."

"Chapman, there must be some other way, right?"

"There is not. To be honest, we have outlived our chances. And I guess I just came here to say goodbye."

"Chapman. No. No-"

"That's just it, Nicky. I can't fight them anymore. And I don't want them to know that you were involved in any way. You understand?" Piper asked seriously.

Nicky nodded somewhat reluctantly.

"And this-" Piper placed the manila envelope on the side table. "When everything settles down and the world says that we were the terrorists, drop this in Poussey Washington's mailbox anonymously. She will know what to do. But you do it anonymously. Okay?"

Nicky nodded.

"Promise me, you won't get yourself in trouble?" Piper asked again.

"Yeah, I promise." Nicky reassured.

Piper hugged briefly before standing up and leaving the room with one last look at her best friend. Nicky smiled back earnestly.

Sophie came out of the bathroom as soon as Piper left.

"Your friend left already?" She asked curiously. "Can we resume what we were doing?"

"Yeah. Just a moment, babe." Nicky said picking up the envelope. "Jesus H Christ-" Nicky murmured on seeing what was inside. "These kids are gonna be the death of me."

If Piper thought Nicky would sit back and watch it unfold then she thought wrong. Because Nicky often prided herself on her self destructiveness. And this was like the golden ticket to fucking adventure land.

"Babe," Nicky smiled bashfully at Sophie. "What d'you say about a little role play, eh?"

—

A/N:

Here's the apology. I am sorry for leaving you guys like that. But hey, I am back now. I know it must have seemed sketchy as hell as I didn't upload anything after asking about unfinished stories. But trust me, I never intended it to be that way. It just happened that my life got in the way (I think I might have jinxed it). Anyway, all is good now and I am back for real.

A huge thank you for the support in the comments and in PM. I don't think it would have been possible to come back without you guys.

As always, happy reading :)


	25. Look What You Made Me Do

"Babe," Nicky smiled bashfully at Sophie. "What d'you say about a little role play, eh?"

"Ooo, role play? How convenient. I always wanted to be an actress." The nurse said winking. "What kind of role play?" She sat down on Nicky's lap.

"I play the bad guy and you the damsel in distress and we will figure out the rest as we go." Nicky kissed her jaw. "This is something I need to do, honey. For my friend who came earlier."

"Okay." Sophie said batting her eyes. "I could do that for you. What do you need?"

"An injection if you would and you screaming as loud as possible."

"Ooh, screaming?" She kissed her. "I am quite natural at that."

Nobody could have anticipated what happened in the next half an hour.

Sophie had been tied to a wheelchair quite creatively, leaving her enough space to stand up awkwardly. She was screaming as Nicky pushed the wheelchair with one hand and held an empty injection to her neck. She wheeled her past the corridor into the lobby, thanking god that Red was out for lunch.

The hospital security came running as people scattered away from the duo. Sophie was screaming so loud that Nicky had to put her hand on her mouth after reaching the centre of the lobby.

"Quiet!" She shouted dramatically. "Be quiet!"

Doctors and patients emptied the place forming a distant circle around them, just what Nicky wanted. The guards where hesitant with their hands in front. But the game changed when appointed cops showed up blazing guns at her. They were there for the extra security in light of the events.

"Ma'm we need you to calm down!" One of them said in a booming voice.

Nicky's heart was hammering in her chest. It felt like a Bond movie, to be honest (except for the hospital gown she was wearing). God, she wished someone was recording her stellar performance.

"Calm down?!" She cried. "Fucking calm down! Now you listen to me. This injection is empty. But not empty. It has air in it. And d'you know what happens when a press this air into her veins? This fragile, innocent, caring nurse dies-"

"Nicky!" A thick Russian accent called from behind the crowd. "Nicky! What are you doing?!"

_Not now, Ma. _Nicky groaned internally.

"Exactly what I am supposed to do." Nicky shouted back. "You- you listen to me mall cop. I need you to contact the CIA and ask for Agent Poussey Washington and tell her that this is about they-know-who-"

"Okay, Ma'm," the cop started calmly. "You must be under a lot of stress considering recent events but we can't just call the CIA. I am not denying. Just saying, why don't we sit down?"

"Sit down, eh? I'll sit down when the CIA is here! And if something happens to this innocent nurse, it's on you buddy, it's on you!"

Nicky was sure that the media was out there by now. She was on her A-game. She was having a rush thinking how her mother will react to this. But Red coming to front and centre with angry eyes and infinite worry lines on her forehead, made her regret her actions a little bit.

"Nicky, my daughter," Red said in her ever so motherly voice. "Why are you doing this? Please - please," she turned to the cops still standing with their guns drawn out, "Officer, she was in an accident. She must have hit her head too hard-"

Nicky kicked Sophie under the chair and Sophie started screaming on cue.

"Help! Help! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

The crowd around them broke into loud murmuring, evidently worried about the innocent nurse and the inability of the cops to handle the situation. The cops on seeing this straightened their backs and called for backup. Nicky could see the FBI people coming in the back.

"Nicky," Red started again. "Don't be stupid. Is this about Alex Vause-"

"Alex Vause?" The FBI agents came forward hurriedly. Nicky welcomed the change of events with open hands.

"Yes! Alex Vause," she said. "And Kubra Balik and Larry Bloom."

"How do you know about Bloom and Balik?" The agent asked in a deep voice.

"Oh I know a whole lot more than that." Nicky said smugly. "But, agent d'ya really wanna waste my time in obvious questions? Now that I have your kind attention- I have crucial information that I will only share with Agent Poussey Washington. Get her here. Tell them that I know where they-know-who is and this nurse lives, America becomes great again and we all go home happily. Get your ass to do some work, will ya?"

The agent nodded and took out his phone to talk to whoever he was supposed to. Red had her hands on her head as the cops told people to vacate the lobby. She had a miserable look in her eyes that Nicky recognised oh-so-quickly.

Great, she thought, she has disappointed Red now. But that's the price you pay for friendship and _love. _

She leaned down to Sophie's ear and whispered,

"You did great, honey. This will all be over soon." Sophie turned her head just enough to kiss Nicky on the lips.

—

What was the game-plan? Piper didn't know. Sure, there was a vague idea how she will get Alex out of it. But nothing detailed like most of her missions. She had no idea how she will get out. And that's what scared her. She would have to think of something that will give Alex a better chance even if she wasn't there by her side.

She left the hospital around seven. She acquired a jeep by showing her fake badge again. She went back to Nicky's place for the things she needed. Thanking god that Red was still in the hospital. After getting everything, she hoped that Nick wouldn't do anything stupid. Although she hoped that Nicky will share the tape in time to prove Alex's innocence.

She drove around the NYC traffic avoiding the police check posts. She was at the address about an hour earlier hoping to check out the place. But unfortunately, the guard was already up meaning that they were already there. Still, Piper didn't go in. She waited at a safe distance and observed their movements with a night vision binoculars.

Things were not looking good for them. There were too many guards in combat gear holding machine guns and what not. At least it was certain that Figueroa will be here looking at the amount of guards.

But more guards also meant it will be harder to escape. Piper sighed holding the envelope in her hand. She shoved it into the glove compartment. And taped her gun on its wall. She could take it when she comes to retrieve the envelope. She was sure that they will frisk the first time but not the second time. In twenty minutes she will drive into the warehouse with no plan of coming out alive.

—

Alex could only remember being shoved into a car before everything went black. They must have hit her in the head, that explains the throbbing pain she was feeling on the left side of her head. Now that she has been trying to open her eyes for the past ten minutes, she realised that there's actually a blindfold in front of her eyes. She stopped doing that and started focusing on her hands that were tied in front of her with ropes. Fucking ropes. Her legs were practically dead from kneeling for too long.

Her voice was scratchy when she tried to talk. And the helpless situation suddenly overwhelmed her. How are they going to get out of it? Not that she doubts Piper but there's only so much that one person can do. She let out a frustrated sigh and wished that Piper saves herself and never gets here.

Her ears were trained on the movement around her. There was silence a bit earlier and now people were scuffling hurriedly around her. It must be time.

"I want four in the front. Two at the main. Six inside." Piscatella said to his men, Alex recognised his monstrous voice. "And get that kid to the backdoor. I don't trust him in combat. I want a sniper up top on the left."

Alex soaked in the information and felt pride that this preparation was for the havoc that Piper might bring. She heard a car coming in and her senses went rogue. Unfortunately, it was just Figueroa. But what surprised her was Kubra Balik. Standing right behind him. He looked unsure. Like he didn't actually wanted to be here. Alex figured Figueroa must have given him so much shit due to his uselessness. She smiled to herself.

He knelt in front of her and clicked his tongue.

"You look a bit tired." He said and removed her blindfold. "Don't worry, I am sure your girlfriend will be here soon. If she loves you enough that is." He lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. "I know about your abandonment issues. How your daddy left your mommy for his career."

Alex spat in his face. He wiped it off with his gloved hand as Piscatella came rushing forward to-

The radio on Piscatella's shoulder came to life.

"She's in a jeep." Someone said through the radio.

"Stop the car where it is." Piscatella replied.

Figueroa stood up straight ignoring Alex. He was so close to what he needed. In the meantime, Alex surveyed her surroundings. They were right in the middle of a warehouse. She could see the extensive amount of men clad in black combat gear. She blinked a few times to get a clear view, irritated at the absence of her glasses. She could she a blurry figure approaching.

_Piper. _

They had stopped Piper's car at the entrance, letting her walk. From the distance Alex saw two men frisking her down and clearing her to go in. Alex knew Piper was looking right at her. If only she had her glasses.

Figueroa moves forward blocking her view. Kubra following suit.

"Piper Chapman, what a pain in the ass you have been. Perhaps I underestimated you. I didn't know you had it in you to show up like this."

"I could say the same about you. Given how much of a coward you have been lately." Piper said.

"Careful with your tongue, Chapman. Wouldn't want your girlfriend to get hurt." Kubra piped in.

Figueroa stepped forward telling Kubra to stay quiet.

"I don't want to drag this any further. Let's get to business. Where's the tape?"

"First I get to see her." Piper demanded.

"Piper do-" Kubra started only to get interrupted by Figueroa.

"Five. Five minutes." He said.

Piper brushed past him and knelt before Alex. Up close Alex could see the worry etched into Piper's features. She wanted to wipe them off.

"Hey," Alex smiled softly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Piper said brushing her thumb along Alex's jawline.

Piper leaned in to kiss her. Alex hadn't realised how much she needed it. It was soft, gentle, reassuring and Piper still had her thumb across her cheek. It took her a few seconds to realise that Piper needed more. She opened the lips permitting entry and enjoyed the warmth that instantly spread throughout her body. And the taste - the taste was unexpected. Metallic. Sharp. Unfamiliar. Being shoved into her mouth. Alex scrunched her nose. Then it hit her.

_It's a blade. _

Piper hugged her with urgency. Tight. Mouth close to ear.

"Thebackdoorisclear." She whispered in a barely audible voice. "Taketheredspeedboat. I'll buy you some time."

Alex nodded, whispering, "Sniperupleft. Fouroutsixin."

Piper nodded and kissed her behind her ears.

Piscatella pulled Piper away. Piper let go of her with a longing look.

"That's enough." He grumbled.

"Where are her glasses?" Piper asked.

"What does it matter?"

"Just give it to her." Figueroa ordered.

Piscatella threw the glasses on the floor near Alex's knees.

_What a fool. _

"The tape. Now." Figueroa demanded.

"It's in my car." Piper said.

"Piscatella go with her and get it." He ordered.

Alex looked down and dropped the blade out of her mouth as they were busy with Piper. She scuffled to reach it. The guards around her must have thought that she was reaching for her glasses. They let it pass with mocking chuckles. But Alex was so close. If she moved the right way, the blade will be in her hands in no time.

Piscatella and two guards followed Piper to her car. All eyes trained on them. Piper was walking so slowly that a guard had to push her to move faster. Still she kept her pace tantalising giving Alex as much time as possible.

Alex scrapped the blade up from the floor in three tries. Keeping her face neutral, she started to cut into the rope. Her fingers bending at an awkward angle. The rope was not that thick. But still it took some effort on her part. She sensed Piper was keeping an eye on her.

Jason took the envelope from Piper and gave it to Kubra.

"Be careful." Piper said as Kubra was about to turn to Alex. Alex schooled her features instantly, hiding the blade and rope fragments.

"These things are old." She said. "Very prone to damages."

Kubra scoffed. He took out a cassette player from his briefcase and set it on a nearby table. That bought Alex enough time to cut the rope off completely. No one was looking at her free hands. They were too interested in the tape. Even the sniper's eyes were trained on Piper's movement.

She put on her glasses. She could see Piper shrinking back a bit. The tape was not real, Piper's expression told her that she did not want them to play it. But there was no time to overthink as Alex cut through the rope binding her feet with one hand. Any moment now.

The cassette player was all set and ready with the tape inside it. Kubra was just waiting for permission.

"Play it." Figueroa said.

—

A/N:

About EmChord's question earlier, there are too many fics but I'll try to name some. These are just the ones I remember. I'll give the author name if possible.

'The equation' definitely is a favourite. I have never read anything like that.

'Swear you're the best for me' (unfinished, by mnjae) is an intriguing story about Marine Piper. The suspense is just mind blowing.

'The Litchfield 8' (unfinished). It's set in prison but a more dark one.

"Favourite shade of sky' (unfinished, by inbetweenbreaths). Just two chapters but oh so good.

'How to save a life' (unfinished), my favourite one. One of the best fics to be honest. It's a brilliantly written medical AU.

'Deus ex machina and the oath' (Unfinished, by imissedyourpatronage). This is the one that I will give anything to read more. Batman AU.

Thank you for the reviews :)


	26. Stubborn Love

"Play it." Figueroa said. His hands were folded in front of him. Eyes trained on the player.

Piper had put her gun in her pocket while retrieving the tape. She put her hand in her pocket and checked if the safety was off. She had to be close to someone important. She chose Kubra who was standing a step behind her. She would just have to buy Alex enough time to get out of here.

Piscatella fumbled with the switches to find the right one. Piper stepped back slightly. Alex had cut through the rope. She nodded to signal that she was ready. Piper blinked her eyes mouthing,

'_ten seconds.'_

Piscatella pressed the right button and the player came to life with white noise. Piper could see from the corner of her eye that Alex was getting up. It's not the right time, they'll see you, Piper thought.

"Just wait!" Piper said suddenly. "Ten seconds of white noise. It plays after that." She glanced awkwardly at Figueroa.

Alex got the meaning and stayed firm waiting for the right cue.

On the tenth of second, the player played a telephone ring. Kubra and Jason furrowed their brows in confusion.

"_Is this Mrs. Chapman speaking?" Nicky's voice (a bit younger) said. _

"_Yes."_

"_This is to confirm your address regarding the delivery of Cocaine-"_

Realisation dawned upon Alex that this was indeed not the confession tape but one of their boarding school prank tapes. At the same time Figueroa turned to Piper with rage in his eyes. But he was too late. Piper had taken out her gun.

She kicked the guy on her left behind his knees. He fell on his face. The element of surprise had worked. She was just in the right position to tackle Kubra from behind. She swayed away the gun he was holding and put him on a headlock from behind, twisting his arm in a painful way. He was just as tall as her, it took her some effort to put her gun under his chin but it was positioned in less than half a minute.

They were both panting. Kubra more so. Piper swept her eyes on the scene. Alex was gone. Piscatella was standing in front of Figueroa. At least half a dozen guns were pointed at her - which was a good thing considering it instantly drew all the attention towards her.

"I will shoot him." She pushed the gun further to prove her point. "Move one inch and I shoot him."

Kubra let out a strangled breath. Piper twisted his body in such a way that he was covering her from the sniper's range.

When none of his men moved, Piper backed away from the group, step by step, keeping Kubra upfront.

"This is a mistake." Kubra said through gritted teeth. "Jason! Tell her it's a mistake-"

A gunshot rang through the warehouse.

So close to Piper that her ears were ringing. She blinked. And blinked. Half of her face was covered in something wet. _Blood. Kubra's blood. _Piper blinked again. Jason was holding a revolver over Piscatella's shoulder. He shot Kubra. Jason shot Kubra.

It was hard to wrap her mind around it. But Kubra was now heavier in her arms as his dead body's weight fell right on her. Even though she couldn't hear what they were saying she could still see them shooting at her. She was barely protected by Kubra's body as they kept shooting at her.

She was walking backwards to the wall. There was no other option. She had her gun but the other side had too many. She walked back until her body was against the wall. She was soaked in his blood by now. She could see Jason getting mad over the situation.

"Where the fuck is Alex Vause?!" He shouted over the gunshots. "Where the fuck is she?"

Two men towards the exits probably to find Alex. Piper prayed that they wouldn't. She will hold them here as long as possible which didn't seem long anymore.

One of them foolishly stepped forward, giving space for clear headshot. Piper didn't hesitate shooting him. He fell down at her feet. Piscatella reloaded his gun. Piper looked at the stairs leading to the first floor on her left. A little distraction and she will be up on those.

And suddenly as if God heard her prayers, it all went dark. Completely dark.

"_Fuck!"_

"_What the fuck?"_

"_Get back! Get back!"_

"_Where's the light?"_

"_Take cover! Take cover!" _

"_Where is she?"_

"_I can't see a thing!"_

"Turn on the fucking night visions!" Piscatella ordered.

Piper took the opportunity and sprinted towards the stairs. Taking three steps at a time she trusted her instincts to get her up to the top. She stumbled into the oil drums. Hurting her left knee. She let out a muffled cry of pain.

Before she could get up somebody kicked her in the stomach. She punched empty air in retaliation. She couldn't hear her attacker's steps due to the commotion downstairs. He hit her again on the head causing her to fall on the rails. She waved the hands in the dark trying to find some kind of weapon. He hit her again, this time with the back of his gun.

"Son of a bitch!" She mumbled. Finally, she grabbed a steel pipe nearby.

"She's-" He started to inform his sub-ordinates. His voice told Piper exactly where he was standing and who he was. She swung the pipe as hard as she could, causing him to fall down. Her eyes had somewhat adjusted to the dark by now. She could see the outlines of his monstrous body on the floor as he withered in pain. She climbed up on top of him.

He was beginning to scream. She pulled his gun out of his hand, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. His body went limp instantly. Piper panted. Breaths coming in short. She rolled away from his body and laid beside him.

_Four down, twelve to go. _

She took out the torch from his belt, gripped it underneath the gun and got up. The sniper was here somewhere. She looked around with the torch. In soft careful steps she found him, laying there with his eyes on the scope, trying to make sense of the dark. Little did he know that his life was going to end soon.

Piper shot him through the head. His brain scattering and body going motionless even before he could think of retaliating. She pushed him away and took hold of the rifle, picking it up and going around the floor to get a better vantage point using the torch.

_Eleven more to go. _

The light came back on.

—

The moment Piper captured Kubra, Alex had ran away. Backwards, stumbling, startled by the events unfolding. But it was an excellent distraction. Nobody saw her swift exit as she crawled halfway and ran the rest, passing the unconscious body of the young guard that Piper must have knocked out. Alex didn't feel bad for him. She was more concerned about the single gunshot that rang throughout the warehouse minutes after her exit.

Someone shot someone. She hoped that Piper wasn't the one on the receiving end. But still she could feel fear roaring its ugly head in the back of her mind. She spotted the red speedboat on harbour, going and down on the waves.

The wind on her face felt good but the fight was not over. She heard the dut-dut-dut of machine gun echoing inside.

_I should've never left. I should've never left. This is my mess. I should've never fucking left. Fuck. Piper wouldn't be here if I weren't so useless. Fuck. Fuck. I am not fucking leaving. _

She went back and knelt down in front of the unconscious guard and shook him. He mumbled incoherently. Alex took away his gun and nudged him again. This time he woke up.

"What the f-fuck is happening?" He grunted, pushing up on his elbows.

Alex kept the gun firm and pointed at his head.

"Don't move." She said.

"W-what?"

"Don't you fucking move!" She shouted.

"Okay. Okay. Okay." He said showing his hands above his head.

"Okay. Now show me where the power switch is!"

"Power switch?"

"Yes, to turn off the electricity! Where is it?!" She pushed the gun into his face.

"Left! Left! That way!" He answered, shocked and sacred for his life.

"Get up and show me. Hands where I can see them." She barked.

He got up slowly. Piper must have hurt his leg badly. He limped through the side to the power switch and stood beside it.

"Open it!" She demanded. He did. "Turn off the power."

He hesitated. His eyes wandering over to the main switch and then back at her.

"Do it. Now."

He pulled down the lever which in turn made the whole place dark. Before Alex could adjust to the dark, he jumped at her catching her off guard. She stumbled, almost falling. In seconds, he lunged at her again but Alex had braced for the impact. She stood upright and shot at his moving form wishing she hadn't killed him but at least injured him.

Indeed she hadn't killed him. He screamed in pain as the bullet went through his bicep. He panted as they both stood face to face contemplating the next step.

But the scream turned out to be bad news for Alex.

"Kid, is that you?" Someone from inside the asked.

"Over here! She has a gu-"

Alex grabbed his wounded arm and pushed him into the water. But it was too late. It created a splashing sound loud enough to locate her. Alex knew from experience that running now was futile. She wouldn't know where to run anyways.

She lifted her arms over her head, surrendering as two men rounded the corner. One of them gestured the other to take the weapon and turn on the power switch. Alex submitted willingly.

"We have her." One of them said into the radio.

"Bring her in." It was Jason. By the frantic breathing in his voice, she could tell he was desperate. Desperate enough to forget that having Alex and Piper in the same room and being a barrier between them was in fact a death warrant.

One of them grabbed her by her elbow and the other walked in front. Alex tried to trail behind to give Piper enough space to have a shot but the guard wouldn't let her go.

Once inside, Alex saw the rampage. One corner was entirely covered in bullet holes, so much so that the wind coming in from them rattled the insides. Alex doubted how anyone could have gotten out of there.

Following a fresh blood trail she saw two bodies down on the floor. If it weren't for her observational skills she wouldn't have recognised Kubra's severed body lying just below the bullet holes along with a guard's. She exhaled in relief. Piper was still alive.

A gust of wind and a tiny _phew _was all she heard when the guy in front of her dropped dead. A wide hole could be seen on his throat. Alex looked up to the upper deck. It must have been Piper.

The shot, however, alarmed her captor as well. He pulled her even closer, hiding behind her scared for his life. But Alex had just found her reason to fight back again.

She elbowed him on his side with all the force she could muster. He loosened his grip,surprised by the sudden force. She toppled over and landed on the floor, lowering herself.

"You bit-" Another _phew _and he fell backwards with a bloody red hole in his face.

_Eight. _

Alex didn't know in which corner Jason was hiding in but she stayed down when two of them came out shooting everything up there. They kept firing at nothing. Piper was running around the whole perimeter. But as soon as their rounds ended and heads went down to reload, their bodies went down too. Two clean headshots.

_Six. _

Alex heard the scuffle behind the shelves. Someone was trying to hide over there.

"Behind the shelves!" She shouted. Next thing she heard was a thud. Another gust of wind and swoosh behind her resulted in a thud.

_Four. _

Alex ran to the centre of the place. If anyone tried to approach now, they will be dead.

—

_She should've left. She should've left. She should've left. _Piper kept repeating to herself.

This was hard. The hardest thing she had ever done. This wasn't as easy as it seemed. One mistake, one wrong angle, one bad aim and the bullet could be in Alex. Or her for that matter.

Alex shouldn't be down there. She should have been away from all this. Safe. Not in the middle of a fucking shoot out. Piper was angry at herself, at Alex and mostly at them as a whole. Why was she so stubborn? Why not take the easy way out? Why so much love that it complicated things? But she would be lying if she said Alex didn't help.

Alex helped. She really did. She gave her the clues and options to clear those guys by being a bait herself. It pissed Piper but there wasn't much of a choice. She would've done the same thing down there. She was glad for the quick thinking and ample co-ordination but infuriatingly stressed out by the way Alex risked herself.

"Behind the shelves!" Alex shouted.

The guy was so startled by her shouting out his location that he gave up a clear gap for Piper to shoot him.

_Four to go. _

Piper picked up the rifle and ran again like she had been doing. She was tired by now. The rifle getting heavier every second. She could feel her body giving up on her. Still she quickly changed her position and held her breath.

Alex had come to the middle now. Good and bad. What if someone shoots? Piper swore under her breath. _So fucking stubborn. _But whatever Alex had thought, worked.

Jason Figueroa stepped forward.

"Shoot me and she dies." His voice echoed into the silent night.

He pulled out his revolver and shot in Piper's general direction ignoring Alex. He missed. Mostly due to the short range of his revolver.

He shot again and missed. But Piper didn't. She got one of the guys backing him up.

_Just three now. _

The other two behind him came to a halt as he went onwards, gun now pointed on Alex. His guards recoiled letting him go alone. He stopped and looked at them in disgust.

"You coward little pieces of shit!"

He pulled the trigger three times on his own man's face. The guard on his left dropped dead.

Piper pulled the trigger of her own rifle taking advantage of his distraction. She missed him by inches but recoiled quickly to hit the other guard easily because they were practically in open field now.

_One_

But Jason was fast. He dashed to Alex and pointed his gun at her head at an arm's length. He kept the gun pointed and started moving around her. Revolving around her. Turning quickly so that Piper couldn't aim at him.

"No more hide and seek! It's just us now, Piper." He said with a menacing grin. "This is a good time to come down. And if you don't, trust me I'll shoot her." He moved clockwise and then anticlockwise randomly.

Piper couldn't aim at him. He was too close and too fast. Definitely too fucking smart. If she could just have some time to predict his movement.

"Jason-" Alex started. "It's over now. Why don't you just let us go?"

He cracked up. "What-what did you say? It's over? Oh, it's not. It's not until I say so. I am going to kill you so fucking painfully. I am going to make her watch till she begs me to spare you the pain and actually kill you." He laughed again.

Piper felt fear snaking up in her spine. What was she going to do? It was just them now. One wrong judgement and she will have to pay the price.

She lowered the rifle and stepped back tucking her gun into her waistband. She took fast but soft steps towards the stairs trying to keep her element of surprise.

"C'mon Piper," He said tentatively. "Get out of your hidey-hole…"

Three seconds passed. He stopped his movement abruptly, surprising Alex.

"Alright, enough of this fucking bullshit-"

He pulled the trigger.

—

A/N:

Huh.

That's it for this chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Please don't get mad :)

And yes, guest, you got the Clexa reference.

Yes, I have read _My Beloved. _I love it. It's very unique and amazing.

If anyone's interested in action packed Vauseman I'll suggest _law and drugs by Mindoir. _I kind of got inspired from that book. Also, it is like the most brilliantly written Vauseman fic. Also very close to my heart.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day.


	27. Stay With Me

STAY WITH ME

_Thump, thump, thump…_

Was it her heartbeat? Was she hearing her heartbeat? No, it's Piper running towards her. Something happened. She heard a _bang_, like a gunshot. But then… where did the bullet went?

Oh, right.

She remembers now. The madness in Figueroa's eyes. The bullet leaving the revolver and the casing clanking on the floor. The slow pour of something hot from her right shoulder. _Blood. Her blood. _The air got thicker. Standing straight was hard. Like someone knocked the wind out of her. And then sharp unbearable pain in her shoulder. _Oh, that is where the bullet went. _

This was how getting shot at felt like. _It definitely is overrated. _

But she fell down after a while. That is when she saw a blurry figure (she assumed Piper) running towards her. _She is not dying, is she? It's just her shoulder, right._ Jason took a lousy shot. Why is the warehouse filled with so much light?

But, no. Something else is happening. Her vision is all fucked up. But the shock is washing away and she could she see Piper supporting her back up to a sitting position on her lap. Piper pushing a firm hand on her shoulder, pressing hard. And god it hurts. It fucking hurts. Her jaw is shut, teeth grinding and fists clenched so tightly around Piper's biceps that they will definitely leave bruises. _Why are there so many flashing lights?_

She blinked. Piper has tears streaming down her eyes. Piper is visibly shaking. Piper is holding her like she's saying goodbye.

_I'm okay, kid. _Alex wants to say. But she can't quite say it. All she could hear was her own blood pumping in her ears. _Everything is going to be okay, Pipes. _

But, Jason. Where's Jason? Oh, wait. Jason didn't took a lousy shot. His hands were shaking. He was shocked. He was shocked because the empire he built was crashing down around him. He was so furious that he missed. He was furious because suddenly the emptiness in the warehouse was filled with sirens.

And light. At least a dozen police cars had came to a screeching halt outside the warehouse the moment he said he was done with the bullshit. Alex mentally laughed. The police was there. And it had shook Jason to his core. Alex looked at Piper.

Piper had something else in her eyes. Alex had missed it the first time. Now she recognised it as relief.

"It's over, Al. It's over. We are going to be okay." She heard Piper's soft voice over the rapid pumping of her heart. Everything was more clearer now. Making more sense. Her initial shock was going away.

"Pipes?" She murmured.

"Yes. Yes." Piper replied tucking a piece of her hair behind her ears. "I'm here. I'm here."

"_This is the federal police. All occupants of this building are ordered to surrender-"_

"_This is Joe Caputo. I advice you to come outside on your own. Don't make us go in."_

Jason Figueroa had his gun still trained on them. But soon, Piper and Alex watched him withdrawing the revolver back to himself. More precisely, pointing at himself.

He smiled looking straight in her eyes and said,

"You ruined me."

He placed the gun between the centre of his eyes and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Alex blinked. Piper gasped. And Jason looked surprised. But then grief clouded his eyes as he realised that the revolver was in fact empty. He had wasted his six bullets on his enemies. He had no bullets for himself.

He fell to the floor on his knees. He laughed. He laughed holding his stomach. _What a circus. _Now, all he thinks is if he could just go back to the last few minutes - he wouldn't shoot Alex. He would save the last bullet for himself. His mirthless cackle echoed through the warehouse.

"_This is your last warning. Empty the warehouse. Come outside with hands over your head. Don't make us come in."_

He went down on his four. At first Piper thought it was one of his antics. Then he started crawling towards the nearest gun. Literally crawling.

Piper would've let it slip had it been someone else. But it wasn't. She couldn't just let him take the easy way out. For all that he had done to the world, to innocent people, to her, to Alex. All the pain and suffering.

She laid Alex carefully down on the floor and got up. She picked up the gun before he could. He turned his head looking up at her. His eyes begging for mercy. But his mouth still forming a sinister smile.

She wanted him to feel the pain, suffering and consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. But she needed him to tell the world that Alex was innocent. That he was the fucked up person to blow up an entire hospital.

She pointed the gun on his shoulder blades and fired two bullets left and right, causing him to fall on his face. He withered in pain. Blood soaking into his shirt and eyes getting hazy.

Piper smirked. Call it a character flaw or crooked moral compass or sociopathic, Piper felt good doing that. The police will be here soon enough to revive him. And he will live to suffer. She felt relieved after that. Like she fulfilled her duties. But she had not. Not yet.

She went back to Alex and pulled her up with her good side. Alex leaned on her and stood up grunting in pain.

"We have to get out of here, Al." Piper said taking small steps.

"Yeah." Alex said lowly. "It's just it hurts so fucking much."

"Not for long. Just keep the pressure on it." Piper replied. "We will be out of here soon."

Piper led her through the backdoor into open air. Alex felt slight relief. And dizzy due to the blood loss.

"Careful now." Piper held her hand getting into the boat.

—

Joe Caputo had never seen anything like this in his whole career nor had he imagined. When his phone rang three hours ago letting him know that he had to take his agent Poussey Washington to talk to a suspect with promising information about Alex Vause, he thought it was some kind of an elaborate prank. Turns out, it wasn't.

Caputo already felt betrayed by Piper. He was at a loss, trying to make sense of the situation. And then he let Chapman go away in front of his eyes. On the other hand, Natalie wasn't able to get ahold of Jason. There was not much evidence to go after him either. The pressure was building up on them to catch Piper and Alex.

And then came Nicky Nichols demanding to speak to Poussey Washington and cinnamon rolls. It took them awhile to get things in order to sit down with her and some more time to find a working cassette player. But Joe was sure that it was legit. That this was what Piper was going to give him.

Nicky gave them a whole lot more than that. From Larry Bloom to Aydin to Kubra, she had an insight in everything. She was as forthcoming as she could be, probably because she wanted to impress Poussey. But she insisted that they take action as soon as possible.

"This is a very big deal, Ms. Nichols. We can't just go after him. We have to prepare a team, make a plan of action-" Joe tried to explain.

"Yeah do whatever you have to do. I don't care. But they are in danger right now. He has Alex and Piper went after him like the idiot she is. If anything fucking happens to them, I will not hesitate to tell the world what a lousy job you have done."

Nicky looked scary even in her hospital gown. Probably something she learned from the Russian woman outside, he thought.

"Alright. I'll call in the A-team. But do you know where they are?"

"How the hell would I know? It's your job. Hack into his phone or shit. I thought you were the CIA."

"It's not that easy to hack into a US secretary's phone. There are a lot of hoops-"

"Locate him." Natalie who had been sitting silently the whole time spoke up with raging disgust at her husband. "Locate him. You have my orders. He is a terrorist. He will be treated like one. We will use whatever combat teams we can arrange. In the meantime, I want you to let the higher ups know that I am resigning."

"Nat-"

"They will put me away anyway, Joe. He is my husband after all. I should have seen this coming. But I didn't. I would like to go away on my terms. I trust you handle the rest of this mission and get your agent out of this alive."

Joe nodded solemnly.

Joe Caputo had never seen anything like this in his whole career nor had he imagined. They were cornering a U.S. Secretary (soon to be Vice President) for suspected assassination a U.S. Vice- resident.

He looked at his men and sighed. They were either outnumbered or too late. The warehouse was too quiet from the outside. He had personally warned the occupants in hopes of a peaceful surrender. He knew that it was futile. Given the inactivity inside and outside of the place, they were late, he was late.

"Sir, we have four NYPD cars stationed and armed, two of our own. I got agents scouting the perimeter. So far nothing."

"We need more people. Where's the back up? The FBI? Homeland? Our surveillance?"

"Three minutes hardly for the drones. The choppers will be in the sky in five, the backup is seven minutes ETA. What are the orders?" One of his agents asked.

That was the best he could do in ten minutes. He gave them orders to engage.

"Alright, get your team, we are going in."

The warehouse looked like someone butchered his or her way through it. A sea of dead bodies.

"Holy shit!" One of his agents murmured.

"HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" Two agents rounded up on a moving figure laying at the centre of the floor. He was in what seemed like an expensive suit. Caputo moved forward, getting interested.

He was shocked by what he saw. Jason Figueroa bathed in blood oozing out of both of his shoulders. Someone (Caputo assumed his agent) had left him there mercilessly to die. He looked away quickly as his agents called in the medic showering their own curses of surprise.

"Sir!" One shouted excitedly. "We have Kubra Balik over here! Dead!"

He walked over and indeed he was dead, a bullet hole between his eyes. His head spinned thinking what possibly went down here. He was holding his breath hoping that Chapman wasn't in one of these piles of bodies.

His agents were quick in identifying the possible victims as they concluded Chapman and Vause weren't here.

"Caputo, come in." His radio chirped up.

"This is Caputo."

"Sir, this is Eagle One, we have visuals on what appears to be a speed boat crossing the River, 10 degrees North."

"What do you suggest?"

"I suggest the suspects might be in it, we should interfere."

He pondered over the information. Did he really want to interfere? No, he did not.

"Eagle One, this is Caputo, I just got confirmation from my associate that it is civilian boat. We don't need to hassle civilians now, do we? We already have a PR nightmare as it is." He lied.

"We certainly do not, Sir."

"Signing off Eagle One, we have everyone accounted for, here in the warehouse."

"Signing off."

Joe felt a sense of pride booming in his chest. He had done the right thing. He gave them what they deserved.

—

They were escaping. Leaving all this behind. Piper fiddled with the motor and started it. She steered it away from the shallow waters towards more depth.

"Again, why do we need to leave?" Alex said settling into her seat. "When they arrest him, wouldn't it prove that we were right all along? Why are we still running?"

Piper turned towards her and huffed. She picked up an orange life jacket, a duct tape and some straps, turning the boat's steering in automatic towards the general direction of Manhattan. She sat in front of her.

"I can't take the risk to trust them. Our government works in shady ways, they will do anything to sweep it away. Lift your arm a bit." Piper gestured towards her injured shoulder. "How's the pain?" She asked removing the rag Alex had been pressing there, inspecting the wound.

"Worse. I could use a Tylenol." Alex hissed, clearly one more than she was letting on.

"That's because of the adrenaline washing away. Everything will be catching up fast now. I can feel it too. God, I could use a bed." She tied up the straps creating a makeshift brace for her shoulder.

"Me too." Alex sighed, leaning back on the seat. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"But there's still a lot to do. We have the upper hand now. We can negotiate a deal for the fucking mess. Come here."

"What kind of deal are we talking about?".

"Well, we have evidence that you weren't involved in the terrorist activities or the bombings. But as far the um-" Piper hesitated. "The drug crimes go, I don't think they will let it slip."

"Oh." Alex seemed like she hadn't considered that.

"But," Piper said quickly. "We have the advantage here. They pretty much dragged your name through the mud. They will probably want to negotiate a deal so that you don't go to the press with all the actual facts once the news gets out. It'll be a PR shitstorm for the Federal Government. We just have to wait it out and let them come to us."

Alex nodded chalking it up to think about it later. Piper held up the life jacket.

"I know how to swim, you know." Alex smirked.

"Yeah, but not with an injured shoulder, smartass." Piper replied cheekily. "Now, come on."

"Ow, ow, ouch." Alex struggled to get her hand through the jacket. Piper giggled. "You're seriously laughing at me? This is a life threatening injury right here."

"It's not."

"And how do you know that, Dr. Chapman?"

"You'd be unconscious by now due to the blood loss if it had hit any major arteries-"

Alex instantly squeezed her eyes shut and hobbered into the seat, pretending to be unconscious. "Does it look serious now, Dr. Chapman?"

Piper tried to keep a straight face. "Dr. Chapman is my dad. You can ask him when we see him. You're cute, though."

"Shut up, please." Alex looked furious but she didn't hide the smile. Alex asked as Piper finished buckling up her life jacket.

"Wait." Alex sat up straight. "You said when not if. Are we going to your dad, Pipes?"

"Yes." Piper said anticipating her reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alex said incredulously.

"Because I decided it like two minutes ago when you said Dr. Chapman."

"But why, Pipes? I -"

"Because you still have a bullet in your shoulder and we both need some patch up. And it's not like we could just walk into a hospital. We will just go to my parent's place. You have nothing to worry about, he's cool."

"Wow, I never thought I would meet your parents. This is a nightmare come true."

"Um- you already met him back in the hospital?"

"Yeah. But that was different. We were not- we were not like, you know, it wasn't like-" Alex struggled to describe whatever it was between them back then. But Piper was having a mental dance thinking that something changed. _Alex thinks something changed. _

"Why? What changed?" Piper asked outright, unable to contain her thoughts.

"Well," Alex smiled at the evident eagerness in Piper. "I am not that mad at you. Maybe a little bit. But not that much."

Piper grinned goofily. "So, we can be friends again?"

Alex laughed. "Christ, we were never really friends, Pipes."

Piper agreed. They were never really friends. Alex had always been clear in what she wanted. They always had this strong connection. If Piper was being honest, it was more of an emotional thing than sexual. The attraction was undeniable. The way Alex made her feel wanted and loved and cared for. Piper craved that, missed that.

Piper looked down and fiddled with her hands as they sat in silence. Alex put her hands on hers making her stop. Piper looked up. Alex was looking at her apprehensively. She blinked. Alex adjusted her glasses. They were so close. And Piper's lips seemed so soft, if she could just kiss her.

"Alex," Piper said. "I work for the Central Intelligence Agency. And I am sorry that I had to lie to you. I am sorry I left you back in Paris. And I am sorry that I have been a shitty human so far. There's no excuse." Piper sniffed. "I was selfish. I thought I could just be your Piper then we can still have our relationship. I- I was scared that I'll lose you."

"Hey-" Alex pulled her closer, hugging her with one hand. "I get it. I get why you did what you did. And I- I forgive you. I wish I could stay mad but it's a lot of work. And I am exhausted. Besides it's hard to stay mad at your cute face, babe."

Piper pulled back smiling. Nose red and eyes wet.

"See, you have snot coming out of your nose-"

"No! I have not!" Piper wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "You liar!"

"Could say the same about you." Alex chuckled.

"You'll never let me live it down, will you?"

"Nope."

They sat next to each other watching the sun come up. Fingers intertwined and a content feeling in their hearts. The water rocked them gently, wind caressing their face. Suddenly Piper turned to Alex,

"Alex, will you be my girlfriend?" Piper asked chewing her bottom lip.

Alex grinned without missing a beat and said, "Yes, you idiot."

Piper smiled wide. Alex leaned in to kiss her. Hands on her neck and noses touching. It was soft and slow like the colour spreading in the sky at the brink of dawn. And tender like the waves moving them. The rhythm was there as always. They both closed every bit of gap between them. Piper could feel Alex smiling into the kiss. She did too.

They pulled back to catch their breath and giggled like stupid teenagers.

"I heart you."

"I heart you too, kid."

—

A/N : 

I don't know exactly how many chapters I will write. But I will let you know when its the last one.

Thank you so much for the kind reviews. I kind of left you guys on the cliff there, hence as an apology here's 3k words chapter, the longest one yet. Hope you enjoyed it:)


	28. Like Real People Do

They didn't exactly knock on Bill Chapman's door. They parked the stolen car outside the backyard. Piper suggested that they should go in through the backdoor which she knew the passcodes for. Alex agreed.

The sun was already up in the sky and Piper was starting to look a bit exhausted. Alex hung back keeping a lookout. She fumbled with the security lock, getting the passcode wrong the first time.

"Fuck!" She muttered under her breath.

"Pipes, is everything okay?" Alex asked, concerned at her girlfriend's agitating behaviour.

"Yeah, I-" Piper hesitated. "I just typed it wrong." She put in the passcode again, getting it right this time around but stopped short when the door opened.

Alex sensed something was wrong. She put her good hand on her shoulder, making her turn around.

"Pipes, what is it?"

"I-I… Mom and Dad… they know that I am, you know, gay but…I never really like came out to them so…"

"You don't want to know about us?"

"No. No. No. No." Piper shook her head. "I'm just a little bit scared. Carol can be very uptight about it all. Dad is cool, I think… And after all the secrets and lies, I want to do this like real people do. I want them to know that you are the love of my life. You deserve that." Piper looked down at her hands.

"Hey…" Alex put a finger under her chin. "We will figure it out together. Take as much time as you need, I don't mind. But if they love you, they will accept you no matter what."

"Yeah, I know." Piper cleared her throat. "Let's just go in."

They opened the door into a dimly lit hallway. Her parents should be asleep this early in the morning. She rounded the corner into the kitchen. Alex following her steps.

As she turned, she was taken aback, seeing her father standing still with a frying pan in his hand dressed in a nightshirt and white robe.

"Daddy?" Piper asked, bewildered.

"Jesus Christ! Piper?" He put the pan and placed a hand over his heart.

"What were you doing?"

"I thought I heard someone coming in. With everything that's been going on lately, I thought I might as well be prepared."

"So you were gonna attack - with a frying pan?" Piper asked teasingly.

"Oh, don't. You nearly gave me a heart attack there." His attention shifted to Alex awkwardly standing behind her. "What the - Piper why is she with you?"

"Look, I can explain it all later. But now, I need your help. Can you take a look at her shoulder?"

Bill seemed confused. He was not sure about what he was supposed to do. So, he put on his profession as a deciding factor. He was a doctor and he should provide medical assistance to whoever needed it most. He weighed that in and the decision was easier.

"Okay." He said after a while.

"Honey? Is everything okay?" Carol called from upstairs. Bill's eyes went wide. They heard faint footsteps coming closer.

"She will freak out if she sees her. Take her to my office. Quick. I'll handle your mom." He said shooing them away.

Piper led her to her father's office. A comfy study room where she had spent most of her childhood watching her father work. She pulled out a chair for Alex and listened for the conversation outside.

"Hey, honey. Everything is okay. I was uh- just," Bill tried to cover.

"Someone was here." Carol said suddenly.

"What? Nah." Bill tried to wash her off.

"Look footprints-" Carol said.

Piper sighed. She had to go back to her mother. She knew that Carol wouldn't stop until proven right.

"I'll go out and send dad in, okay?" She said to Alex.

Alex nodded. She closed the door behind her and walked to the kitchen dusting herself a bit to look more presentable. She combed her fingers through her disheveled hair and zipped up her jacket to hide the blood stains.

"Hey, mom," she said entering the kitchen casually. Her mother turned around with a surprised look which soon turned into disgust.

"Jesus, you look awful." She said scrunching her nose.

"Wow, thank you. Good to see you too." Piper said sarcastically. She didn't blame her mother for thinking that. She looked and felt disgusted too. "Dad, someone's calling you at the office phone. I think it's something urgent."

Bill looked confused again, not catching up on the excuse. Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Oh! Yes, yes, I - I was on a conference call from uh Singapore. Very important case it is. I'll go." He said

"When was the last time you took a shower?" Carol pulled out a coffee mug asking Piper.

"Actually, I haven't in a while." Piper said turning away from her mother towards her own bedroom.

"Wait, Piper," Her mother stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I am glad you are okay."

Piper furrowed her brows at the sudden show of concern. She nodded in acknowledgment and walked away.

—

To say it was awkward would be an understatement. Alex was chewing her bottom lip and tapping her legs to shake out the anxiety. She tried to look away but pictures of Piper and her father were practically everywhere she laid her eyes on. Rest were different awards her father had received throughout his career.

There was a picture of Piper showing a toothy smile with her two brothers at a beach. Some with her grandmother. Her graduation picture where she looked like she was fed up with life. Alex laughed a little. Bill who was sterilising some of his equipment on the table turned to her.

He cleaned and stitched up the wound with practiced precision. He stayed silent. Not even a word out of his mouth. Alex was determined to keep a straight face even though she wanted to curse out the pain. She did not know how to start a conversation. She wasn't good at small talk anyway. She just prayed that Piper will come back soon so they could just move to someplace else.

At last, he patched up the wound letting out a satisfied sigh. He packed away his equipment in the small surgical kit. He discarded his gloves in a packet and went out of the room.

Alex exhaled in relief. She sat back on the chair and closed her eyes. _Where the hell is Piper?_ She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep in a real bed. She was about to stand up when Bill came in again.

"Sit." He said to her. She did. He pulled out a chair from in front of the desk and put it right in front of her.

She tried to keep her face neutral. But she was scared shitless. She grabbed the handle of her chair tightly. This was worse than the meetings with Kubra.

He didn't say anything for the first few minutes. He folded his arms in front of him. She adjusted her glasses and chose a random point to focus on behind him.

"Are you my daughter's girlfriend?" He asked out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" Alex sputtered out.

"Are you in a relationship with my daughter? Yes or no?"

"Yes." She shifted in her seat awkwardly having some vague idea where this was going. _Is this what they call a shovel talk?_

"Do you love her?"

"Yes." Alex answered without missing a beat.

He sighed, "The allegations they have made on you, are they right about you?"

"No." Alex answered immediately. "I didn't do it. Not the hospital or the assassination. I wasn't involved in it. It was all a lie and a huge cover up. You could ask Piper if you want."

He nodded. "So, you are innocent?"

Alex answered in affirmation.

"Then tell me, Alex, what is it that you do exactly, for a living I mean?"

"I-I-"

A loud gasp came from the door quickly followed by the sound of breaking glass. Both of them whipped around to see what had caused it.

Carol was standing at the door with one hand covering her mouth and one hanging in midair. Her silky white nightdress now had splotches of coffee that she had brought for Bill. She was terrified to say the least. Her eyes wide and heart racing.

Bill and Alex stood up immediately. Bill moved towards her trying to calm her down.

"Carol, let me-" He started.

"I am going to call the police." She said and turned around in the blink of an eye only to be stopped by Piper covering the door.

"No, Mom, you are not." Piper stepped in and closed the door behind her.

"Piper? You knew about this?"

"Yes. I brought her in. She is with me. And please let me explain-"

"You let a criminal into our house? I never agreed to your life choices but I never stopped you either and now you are bringing terrorists to our house! This is outrageous! I will not accept this."

"I don't expect you to. If you think she is a criminal and I should be one as well. Besides we were going to leave. It would be very gracious of you if you could just ignore what you saw, you are very good at ignorance anyway." Piper had her fist clenched white.

Carol looked like someone had kicked her. She blinked and shook her head.

"Bill, how are you supporting all this nonsense? Let's just call the police and get this over with-"

"You might as well put a gun to my head and shoot me!" Piper hissed at her mother.

Both Alex and Bill watched them like they were watching a tennis match. Heads moving one side to the other. Both Chapman women were equally furious. Piper stood taller than her mother looking down at her with utter contempt. Her mother took a threatening step towards the phone.

"I didn't raise you to be a criminal!" She yelled.

"You didn't raise me at all." Piper replied. "You sent me to a boarding school."

"Because you were so adamant on hanging out with that drug addict-"

Piper scoffed. "Eliza wasn't a drug addict. She just smoked some weed, that's all-"

"But it was the wrong crowd for you! You reeked of cigarettes and alcohol. I did what was right for you!"

Piper waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, for Christ's sake, why don't you just say that you did that because she was a girl!" She raised her voice.

Her mother looked baffled. Like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her.

"No, it wasn't because of that-" she started.

"Oh, so you won't have a problem if I say that Alex is my girlfriend." Piper dared.

Carol's face paled. She stumbled on her feet. She looked from Piper to Bill to Alex. Realisation dawning upon her. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it. Then she walked further into the room aiming for the phone. Piper stepped in between her and the phone.

"Don't." She said. "Don't call the police. You'll end up ruining not only us," she pointed to her and Alex, "but also Dad. He helped us knowing exactly what he was doing."

Carol let out a frustrated sigh. She looked around the room, a tight line forming at her lips. She gave one last disappointed glance at Piper and stormed out of the room muttering incoherent words under her breath.

They all were still standing when the door closed with a bang behind her mother. They were still processing it. Bill was in midst to deciding whether or not to go after Carol. Alex really just wanted to sit down. Piper however had other ideas. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for another emotional let down.

"Dad," she said facing her father, "I am gay."

Bill looked thoughtful for a second but he opened his arms wide.

"Hi Gay, I am dad." He said smiling softly and inviting her in for a hug.

Piper was confused for a second but then she burst out laughing. Alex joined in too, falling back on the sofa from laughing. Tears rolled down her eyes as she ran into her father's arms. She could feel the stress bubble they were in, bursting.

"That is the most awful dad joke ever." She said against his chest as he held her close to his chest firmly.

"But it got you laughing, didn't it?" He said rubbing gentle circles on her back.

"Thanks, dad." She said pulling away. "For everything."

He nodded and patted her shoulder. "I am proud of you. And I trust that you know what you're doing."

"You will know, dad. You'll know that Alex is not what they made her to be. And that's what we have been trying to prove so far."

"Piper, I do trust you. But I don't think it would be wise to stay here for long given how your mother feels about it."

"Yeah. I know." Piper said. "We were about to leave anyway. I parked my car in the backyard and it's too early in the morning for anyone to notice us."

"Then you might as well leave before the rest of the block wakes up and freaks out." He suggested.

Piper nodded and gestured forAlex to get up. She got up as Piper left to get her keys. She stayed behind to thank Bill as he accompanied her to the backdoor.

"Thank you, Mr. Chapman-"

"Bill," he interrupted.

"Thank you, Bill for letting us stay and for helping. And for Piper. She needed it, the acceptance. It means a lot to her that you still love her."

"I know," he said. "But that doesn't mean our conversation is over. You and I have a lot to talk about. Do you understand?" He said threateningly.

Alex felt her mouth go dry. She swallowed thickly.

"Yes, Sir I understand."

"Good."

"Bill, how's- uh - how's my mom? Diane?" She asked hesitantly.

He sighed and looked down before putting a hand on Alex's shoulder and said, "They have her on life support now. They had to do an emergency surgery but she hasn't woken up after that. But I can assure you that she is being given the best care there is, kid." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"Yeah. Sure." She said wiping the single tear that had slipped from her eye. "Sure."

Piper walked down the hallway with keys dangling from her finger. She gave the keys to Alex. Alex went ahead giving them some privacy.

"Mom's brooding in the living room. Be careful handling her." She advised.

"Yeah, I'll be." Bill hugged her lightly. "You be careful out there too."

"Yeah. I always am." She said.

"You know your mother loves you. And she wasn't lying about that girl, I didn't like her either. She was trouble. And no, it wasn't because she was a girl. Sending you to boarding school was harsh. We should've cleared up why we did that." He apologised.

"Dad, it's okay-"

"No, it's not. We should have never let you feel like that. And now, with Alex, your mother is scared for you and that's just it. It's not about Alex being a girl. It's because she has a criminal record. But we still love you and we will always love you."

"Love you too, dad." Piper replied with a sad look on her face.

"Now, go take care of your girl. And be safe."

"Yeah, you too. Bye." She got into the car waving her hand and started the engine.

—

They rented a shady tailor from a guy with a tattooed forehead at a garage Alex suggested. She paid him in cash and he directed them to a scrapyard, no questions asked. The trailer he gave them was well hidden and hideous. It looked like a number of outlaws had resided in it. Piper scrunched her nose at what smelled like piss.

"We will take it." Alex told the guy. He nodded and left them.

"This might be the right time to invest in air fresheners." Piper suggested picking up empty beer bottles from hot refrigerator. "Jesus! Does that looks like blood?" She pointed at a red stain on the hole-y carpet.

Alex chuckled closing the door with bullet holes in it. "Why are you acting like a priss? We have been in messier places than this and you didn't utter a word-"

"Nope. No way." Piper closed the distance between them to grab a spare bucket. She put the garbage in it. "Did you see the bathroom, honey? Looks like someone died in it. We are so not gonna tip that Charles Manson wannabe."

Alex laughed, pausing to look at Piper who started to clean up the place with bare hands, scrunching her nose once in a while, muttering under her breath.

"This is so below our standards." She changed the sheets with less dirty ones presumably. "What if we found a dead body here? Do we leave it or do we get rid of it? Do we complain to the service provider?"

Alex smiled at how much she looked like the old Piper. Then she caught herself thinking that they are literally the same person. There's no old and new. Piper had always been what she has been, it's just that Alex is seeing it for the first time. It dawned upon her that Piper's truth comes with a plea for acceptance. And Alex hopes that she will try her best to be the person with whom Piper can be herself, with whom Piper can be whole.

Piper stopped in her tracks with hands on her hip. She gave her exasperated look saying,

"Al, not to break your heart but your staring is really starting to get unadorable. And to be honest, all the staring and smiling into the void is borderline creepy."

"Unadorable? Is that even a real word?" Alex walked you to end of the bed where Piper was standing. She pulled her closer with her good arm till they were standing face to face and all Alex could think was how delicious Piper looked.

"Yes, Ms. Vause, I'm pretty sure it is." Piper said with her head held high. She licked her bottom lip unconsciously. And Alex found it irresistible.

"Prove it." Alex whispered.

She stepped even closer, her hands cupping the base of Piper's neck. Piper's hand had already found its place in the small of her back. The blue in Piper's eyes rendered Alex speechless, so dark and in sync with Alex's own forest greens growing darker in shade. Then Piper gets this sort of mischievous look in her eyes.

Piper leaned in and kissed the top of her nose tenderly. She pushed her glasses that had slid down further on the bridge of her nose with her free hand. She stuck her tongue out when Alex chuckled at her utter childness. Then Alex captured her lips in her own and the feeling destroyed her in the sweetest way.

"So…so…unadorable…," Piper husked.

Alex leaned in even more, pressing their lips firmly, keeping it chaste but meaningful. They kissed with practiced fluidity as if the world doesn't exist outside these four walls. By the time they pulled away, Alex is reminded that she has to breath. But how could she when Piper looks so gorgeous in an over worn pair of jeans and this fluffy sweater.

Piper's blood was rushing to her cheeks and they were Alex's favourite shade of red. Alex was happy because she did that to her. She has Piper all smiling and blushing and flustered in her arm. And she couldn't deny the sweet rush she was feeling at her core, she was certain Piper felt it too. She moved again, willing to satiate that feeling but Alex pulled away.

"No," she said surprising Piper.

"What?"

"Not now, okay? We need the rest. And I don't want to take risk with this." She pointed to her shoulder.

"But-"

As much as Alex wanted to please her, she didn't want to do it in a half-assed way. There was a certain standard when it came to fucking Piper. And she wasn't going to bring the bar down with a broken shoulder and sore muscles. So she refused.

"We will have plenty of time but first we need to sleep." She convinced Piper.

"Okay." Piper said half-heartedly. "But can we at least get to cuddle?" She pouted.

Alex chuckled. "Sure, kid," she replied.

Piper happily jumped into the small bed they had been given. Alex laughed at her antics and laid down as well. There wasn't much space in the bed but they didn't need space anyway. Piper tucked herself tactfully on Alex's left side. But now that she knew the agent within Piper, she couldn't help but notice when Piper pushed a loaded gun under her pillow in the blink of an eye.

"Just a precaution." Piper murmured and closed her eyes after kissing Alex once more.

Sighing, Alex gave herself up to sleep as well, contented at the feeling of Piper's body on her side.

When she woke up after what seemed like hours, Piper wasn't by her side. It was already dark outside. By the scuffling coming from outside she could tell that Piper was probably moving around, cleaning stuff. She got up and opened the curtains that separated a little dining area from the bed.

Piper was indeed moving around. She was chopping vegetables and humming under her breath. Alex found it endearing.

"Your creepy tendencies are starting to worry me." Piper said, amused. She put the chopped vegetables into the pot she had on the stove.

Alex chuckled. "Do they teach you to cook at the CIA?" She said, marvelling her cutting skills.

"No, but they do teach a thousand and one ways to use a knife. That comes in handy, I guess." Piper replied.

"Do I want to know about the other thousand ways?"

Piper scoffed. "The people who have witnessed the other ways aren't alive to tell the story."

"Wow, Pipes, was that bragging that I just heard?"

"Shut up now." Piper smiled. "I made us some chicken soup. I figured you would be hungry. Could you get that bed table set?"

"Sure."

Alex felt weird at how domestic it all seemed. Like they were a normal couple having a vacation. In reality, they weren't. She suspected that Piper had already made contact with the agency since it explained her anxious behaviour.

She set the compact table on the bed and spread the covers enough to look comfortable. She told Piper that she would take a quick shower.

The hot water felt like heaven on her sore muscles. She exhaled in relief and took as much joy as one could get in that tiny shower. She came out wearing a clean pair of pajamas and t-shirt that Piper had arranged somehow. It felt good to be clean and she understood why Piper was so obsessed with bathrooms.

When she came out, Piper had already set up their dinner plates. A very healthy look bowl of soup and a box of pizza. Alex was starving to say the least. She toweled her hair quickly as Piper laughed at her grumbling stomach. She got under the covers as Piper turned on the laptop.

"Where the hell did you get a laptop?" She wondered.

"Went shopping while you were asleep. Figured we could use a fucking break." Piper stretched out her arms proving her point.

"Did you contact the agency?"

"Yes." Piper hesitated. "We have a meeting early in the morning. We um… agreed on this small cafe downtown. They'll be sending in a negotiator, unarmed presumably. But I would go in to scout out the place anyway. See if they have set any surprises for us."

Alex laid her head back on the headrest. Piper put her head on Alex's shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

"I wish we could have this a little longer." Piper said lowly. Alex picked up bowl of soup drinking some of it earnestly.

"Do you mean the crammed up shower and this tiny bed?" Alex joked even though she knew exactly what Piper meant. She liked this too. Their own little universe where Alex doesn't have to run out of the door at a moments notice for drug deals and Piper doesn't have to overthink about her secret.

Piper chuckled opening up Netflix and scrolling through the list of potential shows to watch. They ended up choosing Breaking Bad even though they had already watched it a thousand times. Perhaps they craved the familiarity it offered.

Halfway through season one, Piper ended up telling Alex all about her career at the agency. With the show on mute and Piper in Alex's arm, she told her everything she had never shared with anyone. And Alex listened to all of it as if it was water and she had been through the desert.

Piper told her (keeping the details out) about the missions she's been on, the countries she visited, the languages she could speak. Alex was in awe. She could tell that Piper was holding back a lot of gritty details but she didn't mind. She would take anything Piper shared. She had missed a huge part of Piper's life for so long but she couldn't wait to fall in love with this part of Piper.

They talked for hours into the night. Piper was ecstatic telling her stories she had heard. Her days in the army. And her mentor Miss Claudette. Piper was in the midst of telling her about this mission where she had to live in Moscow for over a year when Alex felt her dozing off on her shoulder. She never heard the end of that story.

Alex patted her head and slowly put away the plates and the computer to lay Piper back down on the bed. She smiled at Piper's sleeping form and kissed her behind her ear.

"I would miss this too, kid."

—

Piper had woken up before the sun. She was determined to make this meeting as smooth as possible. They had had enough trouble to last a lifetime. She left Alex in the trailer to scout the breakfast cafe they were meeting in.

The cafe wasn't very far from where they were staying. She walked there. She had known this place from earlier. It looked like cozy little place from the outside but she knew it wasn't. Some of New York's most important weapon dealings had happened here. She had come to know the owner while doing an undercover mission. But the mission had unexpectedly made the owner a personal informant for Piper. Those were only some of the reasons why Piper chose this place.

She went into some of the nearest buildings easily by fooling the security with an FBI badge. Everything seemed normal. New York was waking up slowly even though it never went to sleep. Piper checked and rechecked until she was confident that there wasn't any foul play. They must be desperate for Alex since there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Piper dreaded her return to the trailer because it meant that they would have to get out of their little universe. That she would certainly have to let go of Alex and she wasn't ready for that yet.

She had tried to make yesterday as comfortable as possible. She made sure that Alex was happy. Possibly because deep down she knew that there's no way Alex would be getting out of this without prison time. Even if they pardon the violence, they won't go easy on the drug crimes to make themselves look good at the end. And from Piper's experience they wouldn't agree on anything less than a decade. Plus, Piper had lost any leverage that she had. They were basically sitting ducks for the agency.

Then again she wanted to prolong their stay because she wanted to have some time to work on themselves. Even though everything looked good on the outside, she knew that Alex was holding herself back. Alex was cautious. The way she refused sex last night cemented Piper's doubts and insecurities. Alex wasn't ready yet. And she understood that. She understood that Alex needed time and assurance that Piper wasn't going to abandon her. And Piper was willing to prove that no matter how hard it gets.

When she entered the trailer, Alex was already up and about. She was making coffee.

"Hey," Alex said, her voice husky, just how Piper liked it.

"Hey, yourself," Piper took the offered cup of coffee.

"How's the site?" She asked taking a sip.

"Clear. They are staying true to the deal." Piper said sitting down on the spare chair.

"So, how are we going to face this? I mean, what exactly we are looking at?" Alex asked.

"There are a lot of things that we need from them but the truth is that we have lost most of our leverage."

"Yeah, but if they are still waiting on us there must be something they need from us, right?" Alex suggested. "We just have to figure out what."

Piper agreed. They could easily take them out. There had been cover ups like these in the past, some of them Piper had executed herself by taking out every witness of the activity. But since they were still alive, Piper hoped that Alex was right.

"Tell me," Alex added. "What do we need from them?"

"Well, there should be an official apology from the U.S. government for all the misconceptions. Then there's prison sentence for your drug crimes and then with what Nicky pulled off, we have to negotiate her sentence as well."

"Okay." Alex nodded. "What about you?"

Piper scoffed. "I really don't know what they will do with me."

"Such BS." Alex laughed. "You practically saved the whole country from that maniac single handedly. You should be getting awards and shit."

"That's not how my job works, Al. We often don't get anything in return. No recognition. No fame. It's just how it is." Piper shrugged. "I don't want anything either. I mean after all the trouble we have been through, I'll feel lucky to even get a desk job."

Alex nodded in understanding. She put their cups in the sink and gathered whatever stuff they had brought in, which wasn't much to start with.

—

A/N:

Thank you so much for the reviews!

I'll be posting the chapters as I write them. I have some ideas on how I'll end this. But let me know what you think. We have got hardly 3 to 4 chapters left. This has gone on longer than I had initially expected. But I am glad it did because it had been an amazing experience writing for you guys. I hope you had that too.

As always, thanks for reading.


	29. The Sound Of Silence

_**Present**_

They brought her to the hospital in a simple black minivan. Of course, there was nothing simple about it. She had two agents watching her every move. She couldn't itch herself if she wanted. She laid her head back on the cold metal of the minivan and took a shuddering breath.

The whole arrangement seemed like overkill to Alex. She wasn't going to run away now, was she? With her hands cuffed and legs tied she could barely walk. Piper would lose her mind if she saw her. The orange jumpsuit with a white undershirt. God, it was awful.

The vehicle stopped with a jerk breaking her thoughts. The two agents got out when the door was opened from the outside. She waited for them to give her permission to get out. When they did, she took slow steps towards the sunlight, squinting her eyes. She was not used to the shackles. The weight of the shackles and chains dragged her down with each step. They rubbed against her skin. The heat of the day made things worse.

Turned out, they had emptied an entire section of the hospital for her. With guards stationed at every corner, she wondered where they kept her mom. Was it worth it to tell them about her?

When the agent walking in front of her opened an unmarked door, she figured it wasn't worth it. The agent politely closed the door giving her some time alone.

Her mother's room reeked of sanitizers and medicines. A horrible combination making Alex feel nauseous. Diane was laying down on her bed in the middle of the room. A white sheet covering her body. A pipe through her mouth. The machines that gave her life beeped in an ugly symphony. The fluorescent lights made her features harsh. She didn't look peaceful. She looked like she was in pain. Alex wanted to throw up and run away. But she didn't do any of that.

This was Diane after all. Loving, caring, beautiful Diane. Her mother. She sat down on the edge of the bed with an awkward clanking of metals that bind her. She selfishly wished that Diane won't wake up right now. She couldn't face the prospect of her mother seeing her like this. Then she scolded herself for thinking that even though the realist in her knew that Diane probably wouldn't wake up ever.

She let out a dry sob at that thought. Was she supposed to talk to her? She was here on borrowed time. Could Diane hear her at all? She couldn't, Alex knew that for a fact. Yet she put her hand gently on Diane's feet and said,

"Hey, mom. It's Alex. I-I'm going away for a long time. You'd probably think that it's one of my business trips but it's not. It's not a trip. I'm going to this horrible place and I don't know how the fuck I'll survive.

And the worst part is not going there or living there. It's leaving Piper. I won't be able to see her as often if at all. And it's hard. It's so fucking hard. I remember her face, mom and I can't live with the fact that I made her cry. That I left her."

Alex wiped her eyes. It felt strange talking to her mom like this. Like she was talking to a tombstone. Alex dismissed the thought immediately.

"I know you would say something like - Al, it would be okay. Al, everything will be fine. I say those things too. Over and over and over again. And every time I say them, I feel they get more meaningless.

Piper wants me to be good and strong and all that. And I don't- don't know how. I had to stay strong for her but- I-I feel like I'm drowning."

Alex sniffed and scratched her wrist that had turned an ugly shade of red thanks to the cuffs.

"I tried my best and it still wasn't good enough. I guess this is what I deserve. Better than what I deserve. I-it's just sometimes it feels so exhausting-"

A faint knock came from the door before it opened to reveal the agents standing outside.

"Vause, it's time to go." One of the said in a booming voice, holding the door open.

She nodded and got up quickly to leave a kiss on Diane's cheek.

"Please come back," she said. "I miss you and I love you."

She glanced back one last time and imagined her mother reciprocating in a tender voice,

"_I love you too, Al."_

She followed the agents back to the car waiting to arrive at Litchfield.

—

_**Four Hours Ago**_

Piper suggested that they take the table right beside the glass overlooking the street. Alex found it very specific. Piper didn't have any time to explain as a familiar slender figure entered the cafe with a dominating presence. Piper felt her spine straighten unconsciously. She figured Alex must have felt it too, although she had never seen the woman, she stood up as well.

Piper cleared her throat and informed Alex that this was the negotiator. Alex apprehend the sunglasses wearing woman who walked down the aisle with an intimidating vibe and looked around a bit to see if anyone was paying any attention. They weren't.

Piper took a step forward to partially cover Alex protectively as she extended her hand offering a handshake. The woman smirked before taking her hand.

"Mrs. Figueroa," Piper said shaking her hand firmly. She looked at Alex's frown as Alex finally connected the dots - _This is Jason Figueroa's wife. _

"Agent Chapman," Natalie said with the ever present smirk on her face. "Alex Vause," she extended the hand towards Alex after her.

Alex gave a tight-lipped smile. Piper couldn't help but look sideways into Figueroa's sleeves. It wasn't uncommon for the agency to use poisons to terminate potential targets. She had done it herself. One little pinch and the enemy dies instantly.

"I did not come this far to poison you, Piper," Figueroa said noticing Piper's concern. She pulled a chair for herself and sat down, one leg over the other. She removed her sunglasses and hooked them to the front of her blouse.

"I was taught to never trust an enemy." Piper replied, sitting down along with Alex on her right side. "However, I am surprised to see you here, given-"

"Good morning, beautiful people, what can I get for you today?" A waitress with a sunflower smile and a notepad interrupted them.

"Nothing," Piper and Alex said in unison.

"A black coffee, no sugar, please." Natalie said with a smile.

"Sure, be here in a minute." The waitress said scribbling down at her notepad.

"Shall we get to it then?" Natalie suggested.

"Why are you here?" Piper asked bluntly. "Shouldn't you be out of the job by now?"

"Same could be said about you." She replied with a smirk.

Natalie sat back and exhaled calmly. She took out a cigarette from her front pocket and lit it with a lighter as the waitress came back with a cup of black coffee. She took a long drag before putting it down to the ashtray.

"I resigned once I realised the cluster fuck you uprooted. I am not an idiot but perhaps I was blindsided by his speeches and political glamour. And trust me, I wanted to run away from this as fast as I could." She took a sip of her coffee. "But Uncle Sam had other ideas. They sat me down and berated me on my failures as a deputy which I pretty much expected. But then it turned out that they still wanted to keep it close to home. They don't want people to know about the fucking failure they have been. So, they thought I would be a good communicator given I already knew pretty much everything there is to know and I was the legal consultant before I lost my fucking mind and became deputy director. So, here I am."

Both Piper and Alex was unsure on what to say to that.

"Look," Figueroa started. "I don't want to be here either. But if I wrap it up for them, they will let me walk free. Please, try to make this quick."

_She's trying to play the good cop, _Piper thought to herself.

"There's a long list of charges pressed against you, Ms. Vause. I am taking the luxury of not narrating each one of those." Natalie continued. "Now, the United States Government has agreed upon an eighteen year sentence at a maximum security prison-"

Piper blanked out.

She felt the earth slide away beneath her feet. Her vision got blurred for a minute and she tuned out from all of it. _Eighteen years. Eighteen fucking years. _How is she going to live without Alex for eighteen fucking years? She can't even go on a ten minute walk without worrying about assassins. They have been inseparable since it all blew up. And every time she left Alex, something terrible happened. She blinked a few times when she heard Alex's voice over her cloud of dread.

"-you're violating my fucking constitutional rights. I don't have proper legal representation, I am not getting a fair trail and you expect me to accept your deal as a fucking charity-"

"Ms. Vause, the deal is not up for negotiation. A public trial would be the worst choice you could make right n-"

"It would be the worst for you," Alex stated vehemently. "You're here to talk because they need us as much as we need them. And believe me, you don't want us to go to the press and spill every single detail of your failure to protect this great country. Perhaps we would come out as heroes, the public will be on our side. We saved your government from going into a maniac's hand while you stood and watched like fucking idiots-"

"Don't take this for granted, Vause. There are other ways that can be used to resolve this-"

"But you are not choosing those ways, are you?" Piper said. "Maybe because this is way too big to cover up. Maybe too many people are involved. Maybe you, Natalie, don't want Jason to die a hero. You want the truth to come out, don't you?"

Natalie sighed. Alex slipped her hand on top of Piper's and squeezed under the table.

"Okay," Natalie said. "Perhaps we want the truth to come out. But not all of it. We want the story straight."

"We will narrate any story you want," Alex suggested. "But you have to think from our perspective too. We risked our lives for what?"

"No one asked you to do that. You were a fucking drug dealer working for Kubra Balik." Natalie reminded. "That doesn't constitute as an innocent American citizen. The drug crimes alone would warrant a longer sentence than what you're currently being offered-"

"Yes, but I never got involved in any terrorist activity. Yet, you pulled my photo on every fucking screen and accused me of being a terrorist. That caused emotional damage on us. I bet a jury would love to hear about that-"

"Don't get fantasies about going to a court," Natalie said leaning closer. "As I said, we have other ways to handle things like this. You see that building out there," she pointed to a multi-storey building. "There's a shooter waiting for my signal on the twelfth floor. He is itching to pull the trigger on my command. A 9mm bullet will shatter this glass over here and go straight into your heart before you could say 'court'."

Alex went still in her seat.

"As I said," Natalie said with a smug face. "This is the best you can get."

_To be continued…_

—

A/N:

Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys made my day.

It's a bit small but I felt like updating so yeah.

Also, Vauseman is endgame. It looks painful now but it will ease out a bit in the next chapter. Trust me.

Hope you enjoyed this one :)


	30. Leave To Love You More

"_Don't get fantasies about going to a court," Natalie said leaning closer. "As I said, we have other ways to handle things like this. You see that building out there," she pointed to a multi-storey building. "There's a shooter waiting for my signal on the twelfth floor. He is itching to pull the trigger on my command. A 9mm bullet will shatter this glass over here and go straight into your heart before you could say 'court'."_

_Alex went still in her seat. _

"_As I said," Natalie said with a smug face. "This is the best you can get."_

_**Continued **_

"Natalie," Piper said calmly. "You have made yourself very clear. But now you need to listen very carefully. This-" She pointed towards the glass and whispered very quietly. "This glass is will not shatter. It is built to withstand grenade explosions. You will just foolishly expose yourself by shooting at a public place which will result in chaos and you'll lose your chance with us. We will be on a flight to Switzerland before you can say 'deal'. And I don't have to tell you what will happen after that. The international press will be dying to hear our side of the story. You don't want that now, do you?"

"No." Figueroa's face had gone white. She fidgeted with her cup of coffee before looking up. "Did you poison me?" She asked seriously.

Piper nodded. Clearly, Figueroa realised that Piper had connections in the cafe. She gave an impressed smile before asking,

"How long do I have?"

"Three hours, give or take." Piper said as a matter of fact. She could see the shocked expression on Alex's face from the corner of her eye. "Now, since the threats are out in the open, can we talk?"

"What do you want?" Figueroa asked.

"A public apology for all the accusations, financial compensation for the stress caused, my job and most importantly, Alex and Nicky walk free. All charges dropped." Piper finished.

Figueroa laughed. "I'm sorry- I just-" she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "Did you just say that? Do you really think that?" she said finally getting a hold of herself.

"Yes." Piper answered. "I think we deserve that much for keeping our mouths shut."

"You harboured an alleged criminal, Piper-"

"Because I knew I was right. Because I couldn't trust the agency-"

"-then you burned down a library, killed mercenaries right outside a hospital, murdered Aydin Bayat-"

"It was clearly an act of self defence." Alex interjected.

"Oh, yeah?" Natalie snarked. "Torturing Larry Bloom, was that self defence too?"

"He gave crucial information-" Alex started.

"That's it!" Piper tapped her hand on the table. "That's it! You have nothing to tie up Kubra, Jason and Larry other than the tape, do you?"

"If he goes to a public hearing," Alex thought out loud. "That tape could be easily dismissed because Larry Bloom is dead."

Natalie nodded in affirmation.

"Can we stop playing games now?" Piper said angrily. "What is the story here? What are you trying to do?"

Natalie sat back, her eyes resting on Piper. She pressed her forefinger to her left ear. Piper realised that she was wearing some sort of a microphone.

"Are you hearing this, Director?" Natalie said to whoever was on the other side. "Yes they know…But…yeah…yes, yes… yes I understand."

Piper and Alex waited for her to finish the conversation.

"Director Rawlings thinks you should know the story." Natalie said. "Yes, we don't have anything to prove that Jason was the mastermind behind it all. The bomb, the mercenaries, Larry Bloom- everything points to Kubra. But nothing connects him to Jason except the tape which as you said can be easily disregarded since you tortured it out of Bloom and Bloom is dead."

"Where do we come in then?" Alex asked.

"Well, we are keeping Piper's name out of it because it will be dangerous to her and the agency. It's the same old story, CIA sent an undercover agent to spy on you and found out that Kubra and Jason Figueroa are associated. The undercover agent also knew about the attack. We did our best but couldn't stop it. Then the agents found out about Larry's involvement and he got killed by Jason. So, we worked with you," she pointed to Alex. "We used you as an informant to pull him out. And he died at the hands of our agent who fired in self defence. This makes the agency look good, Uncle Sam happy and you become a hero. Everyone is happy, end of story."

"But,"'Alex said, confused. "Jason Figueroa isn't dead?"

"Yes," Natalie continued. "He is still unconscious at a military hospital under CIA custody. But he'll wake up soon and when he does, he will not give up easy. He will drag this out in public and fight tooth and nail till he gets out of this country. And trust me, he will. He has the power and money and connections to do just that. He knows we have nothing. That's why we are in such a hurry-"

"Wait," Piper said. "You are going to terminate him?"

"Yes, while he is unconscious. We can't let him walk free. Practically, you were the one who shot him in self defence so you'll have to take the fall for it. We are forgiving the other violence and destruction in exchange for that. And for Alex, she is getting a good deal. This is the best you will get."

Piper felt a mild headache throbbing in head. She bounced her leg beneath the table. Alex kept a firm hold on Piper's hand to keep her grounded. Piper looked sideways, although Alex looked calm and collected on the outside, she knew that Alex must be freaking out internally right now. Eighteen years of someone's life was not a joke. That flight to Switzerland seemed more inviting with every passing second.

_Think. Think. Think. What can I do? What can I fucking do?_

"If we agree to your bullshit story, we are gonna need more than that." Alex said. "We can't do that with what you're offering."

"I can take out a few years," Natalie took out a thick folder from her purse and flipped through the pages. "I can take off three years for your extraordinary cooperation, that gives you fifteen years in max."

"Ten." Alex stated. "Bring it down to ten. Give Piper her job back and you have a deal."

Natalie scoffed. "Ten? You must be kidding-"

"I am not." Alex said firmly. "We put our fucking asses on the line. Piper was literally doing her job and she had no fucking support from your so called agency. We could have died doing that. I think that demands some more gratitude."

"Fifteen and Piper gets to keep her job. That's it-"

"C'mon, now, Natalie," Alex smiled. Piper was surprised on how quickly Alex had turned on the intimidation and dominance on her side. It must have been years of practice in the drug cartel. "Make it ten and I am all yours. I'll say whatever you need me to say. I'll fucking sign whatever you need me to sign. Ten years and Piper's job."

Natalie flipped through the pages once more, talked some into the earpiece and brought out a non-disclosure agreement. She put the paper in front of Alex and said,

"There you have it, ten years and your girlfriend's job-"

Piper was not done with ten years. Ten years was way too long. So, she tried once more.

"What if," Piper said slowly. "We give you something concrete, hard evidence that connects Kubra to Jason. What then?"

"Excuse me?" Natalie spat out, not believing what Piper said.

"What if we trade hard evidence that connects Kubra to Jason? How much will that reduce from Alex's time?" Piper prompted again. Alex nudged her hand, not understanding where this was coming from.

"Depends on how good the evidence is." Natalie regained some of her composure but the desperation was clear in her eyes.

"Good enough to give him a life sentence in a CIA blacksite." Piper said.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Piper replied. "There's a thumb drive with records of financial transactions between Kubra and a number United States citizens which can be traced back to shell companies owned by Jason Figueroa. These transactions happened a few days before the attack. I copied them from Kubra's laptop."

"I-"

"Natalie, that drive is enough to send him to a blacksite." Piper continued. "Death is the easy way out. And that son of a bitch deserves to suffer. I know that you want that too. So, please, please decide carefully what you say next."

"Will this evidence hold up in court?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, yes, it will. There's even more to it. It has a complete history of every transaction ever made between Kubra and Jason." Piper said. "Natalie, just think about it. Make the right offer and the drive is yours."

"Fine. What do you want for it?" Natalie asked giving in.

"Same as before. All charges dropped. Alex and Nicky walk free." Piper replied.

Natalie scoffed again. "First of all, your friend Nicky has already plead guilty to all charges on her own even though we offered a lawyer. She's serving sixteen months in Litchfield. As for Alex, that's impossible. Someone has to go down for the chaos."

"Yes," Alex agreed. "But now you can chalk it up to Figueroa now, can't you? Not to mention the hundreds and thousands of people who benefited from the attacks. Those people can be easily prosecuted."

Natalie seemed to agree. She assessed Alex's suggestion mentally. Piper could see the wheels turning in her.

"Three years at maximum security." Alex said suggestively.

"No, Al-" Piper started only to get diminished by her.

"Three years Natalie, that's all I ask." Alex continued.

Natalie talked to the director on the other line and nodded looking at them. Alex squeezed Piper's hand harder now. Piper couldn't understand whether it was from joy or anxiety. For Piper, three years was still a long time.

"Alex, we could still run away to Canada." She whispered in a low tone. "Three years-"

"No, Pipes, you know that's the best we can get. Three years is nothing." Alex said with a sad smile. "If you are still willing to wait."

" Al, that's not the p-"

"The Gods are gracious on you today." Natalie said in a bored voice. "The Director has agreed on a four year-"

"She said three, Nat-" Piper interrupted.

"Hear me out first." Natalie demanded. "Four years in Litchfield minimum. Behave nicely and they will probably let you go in three."

Alex exhaled in relief. Piper could feel her hands shaking underneath the table. This was better than what they had expected. But Piper was willing to give it another try.

"I can see it in your eyes, Chapman." Natalie said with a smirk. "Don't push your luck."

"What if you could make two of those four in Litchfield minimum and the other two can be changed into house arrest?"

"I don't have the authority to that kind of sentencing-"

"That is a lie." Piper stated solemnly. "You have the authority. She is serving four years just in different ways. It doesn't make much of a difference. You know that we deserve that. We are not the bad guys here. He is. Pin it up to him. What's the difference?"

"You keep saying that you deserve it, but do you?" Natalie quirked one of her eyebrows. "Honestly, you should have come to me or Joe or the director when you discovered-"

"For God's sake, he was your husband, Joe was involved with you and I got only half of the files so I didn't know who to trust." Piper snapped. "I really didn't want to do this but you are making me - if you want an antidote to the poison that I gave you, you're gonna have to agree to that-"

"Seriously," Natalie raised her eyebrows incredulously. "You're blackmailing me-"

"Oh, I have done worse things than that." Piper coldly said. "You know I'll do just that. I'll sit back and watch you choke on air. So, why don't you make this easy on yourself and do as I say?"

"This is not what I came here for. This is not-" Natalie said into her earpiece staring at point behind Piper. "Okay…yes, God, …yes, we are clear." She finished and turned to Piper. "Director Rawlins has one final offer and that's it. Four years, two in Litchfield minimum and two in house arrest-"

"R-Really?" Alex said, her hand was trembling and eyes not believing.

"Yes," Natalie said she was disappointed with the result. "But you have to come with us now. I'll call in the agents. They will be here in few-"

Piper felt her heart hammering in her chest. She looked at Alex who was very attentive to Figueroa's each word. Figueroa was explaining the terms of indictment and the rules she will have to follow. Piper was listening to it partially. She was more focused on Alex's face. It was calm as always like everything was going to be alright. But her hands underneath the table were clammy and shaking terribly. Piper changed position of their hands and clenched Alex's in hers firmly.

"Chapman? Chapman? Are you listening-" Natalie voice echoed in her brain. Alex tugged her hand to wake her up from her daze.

"Yeah, sorry, what?" She said, her voice became a bit sharp. "Can you repeat that?"

"The thumb drive? When are we going to get that?" Natalie asked clearly and loudly.

"Oh," Piper's brain responded with the quickest thing she could fathom. "Two weeks after Alex is safe and sound at Litchfield."

"Two weeks is too long. We will have the trade once Ms. Vause is processed into the prison system. That works for you-"

"No." Piper said immediately.

"Piper, it's ok-" Alex tried to convince her.

"No, Al, it's not." Piper said turning back to Natalie. "I'll give it to you whenever you want but I have one condition."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Natalie ribbed her forehead, smiling. "What do you want now?!"

"It's just a request." Piper said more politely. "Y-You have to take Alex somewhere before she goes to-"

"Pipes," Alex looked at her confusedly. "What are you talking about?"

_Trust me, _Piper mouthed.

"Where?" Natalie asked, intrigued at the odd request.

"To see her mom." Piper said. Alex blinked and looked down to the table. "Diane Vause. At the city hospital. She's on life support. If you could-"

"Fine, whatever," Natalie waved her hand to dismiss. "It will be arranged after the documents are signed. But you can't go with her. She will be in our custody. So no sneaking behind and no touching. Are we clear?"

"Yes, we are." Alex said. "We are clear."

"Good, I am going to call some people outside." Natalie explained, getting up from her seat. "I want to see you here when I get back." She left them and headed straight for the door. Piper was thankful for that. She was. But that didn't make it any easier.

Alex had turned to face her. But she couldn't look at Alex. She couldn't get herself to look at Alex. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She knew Alex was begging her to. This was probably the last time she would see Alex like free. Two years wasn't a long time. By American standards it was no time at all. But still it hurt that she would have to say goodbye.

Alex rubbed soft circles on the back of her hand where their hands were intertwined.

"Pipes," She said softly. "Will you look at me?"'

Piper couldn't say no to that and she couldn't look at Alex. It was a horrible turmoil.

"Please," Alex begged.

Turning on her seat, Piper faced her. She felt we heart shattering, her lips trembling and eyes barely blinking back tears. She let out a small sob before letting herself go completely.

"Hey, hey," Alex cradled her face with her left palm and rubbed away the stray tears. "We are going to be okay."

"I-I don't want you to go." Piper whispered, too ashamed to break down like this. She saw the glassiness in Alex's eyes as she blinked away.

"I know." Alex tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead softly. Her gentle touches sending soothing waves throughout Piper.

"It hurts." Piper said. It felt like the prospect of letting Alex go physically hurt her.

"But love is pain, isn't it?" Alex smiled or tried to smile. Piper easily recognised the grief behind her eyes. She didn't want to make this hard for Alex. But she was doing exactly that. Even uncontrollably so. "I'll be back before you know it, babe."

Piper pulled away wiping her tears and clearing her throat.

"We could still run away." Piper suggested in a whisper. Alex laughed. "I have a guy. He'll drive us to Canada. We can take a flight to Switzerlan-"

"That is a good option, babe. But I'm gonna have to refuse it, yeah?" Her voice was bit wet now. Like she was barely holding back. Piper nodded. "Maybe sometime later when I am out."

"Yeah." Piper absentmindedly looked down.

"Hey," Alex bent down to catch her eye. "Thanks for t-the," she cleared her throat. "For mom. Thanks for requesting that."

"I thought you would want that."

"Yeah, I did." Alex said gloomy. "Thank you."

Piper hugged her. A tender, reassuring embrace that said she'll be strong and she'll be here. Alex melted into it and took a deep breath.

"We are going to be okay, Al." Piper said as if she was asking for assurance.

Before Alex could reply, they heard the familiar click of heels echoing in the nearly empty cafe. They both pulled away and tried to look decent. Although their eyes were red, their faces determined. They stood up when Natalie arrived at the table. She opened a new folder explaining their terms of agreement. Piper could tell from the smug look on her face that she was restraining a snarky remark.

Alex signed a couple of papers reading each line thoroughly. Piper did the same. They were done in a couple of minutes. The capped the pens and gave them back to her. Their movements almost in sync. They stood in silence as she examined the papers and nodding when done.

"Here's how we are gonna do it." Natalie said, folding her arms in front of her and looking straight at Alex. "I'll call in my agents who will escort you to a van standing outside. They will take you to our headquarters for the processing. Meanwhile," she turned to Piper. "Agent Chapman and I are gonna sit here and have a chat and not cause any unnecessary drama. We are going to do this as smoothly as possible."

Piper nodded in agreement.

Natalie turned around to call someone as they hugged each other once again. Briefly, this time.

"You have to take care of yourself, okay? Be selfish. Do what you need to survive. You have to come back to me." Piper whispered frantically.

"Yes-"

"Promise me."

"I promise." Alex kissed her. "Don't fuck this up, kid. This is a good chance. Don't fuck this up."

"I won't."

"I heart you."

"I heart you too."

Two men in suits entered the cafe casually. Piper recognised them from the agency. She tugged Alex's sleeve to draw her attention to them. Natalie shook their hand and pointed to Alex.

Piper heard Alex sigh and go ahead to the men. She was about to grab her but she heard Natalie say,

"Why don't we sit down, Chapman?"

Piper backed up and sat down on her seat. She was going to do this for Alex's sake, for their sake. She plastered a soft smile on her face when Alex glanced at her for one last time. She wanted to give Alex something good to remember, not a crumbling face but a hopeful one.

After that Alex didn't look back and neither did she. She turned away and trained her eyes on a stranger and observed him. She didn't want to look at Alex going away, she knew she would break down again if she did.

"She will be out of the door in seconds." Natalie said arranging the documents in sequence. "Don't look now. It'll hurt. I'll tell you when she's gone."

And she did. She informed Piper that Alex was out of the door. Piper exhaled like she was holding her breath. She regained her composure. Natalie told her that they would have to wait for another five minutes and then Natalie will leave for good. Piper counted the seconds.

"What happened to Joe?" Piper asked trying to make conversation and keep her mind off of Alex.

Natalie grimaced. "They transferred him to some no-man's land in Iraq."

"Oh, I-I am sorry, you know for Joe and Jaso-"

"Chapman, you don't have to make small talk. We can be quiet." Natalie said, pulling out her earpiece and putting it in a case.

Piper nodded and dug her nails into her palm to hold back the anxiety.

"Oh, and, t-the poison thing wasn't real." Piper said looking up to Natalie who stood up to leave. "I didn't poison you."

"Yeah, I know," Natalie replied cooly. "I have the waitress on my payroll. Don't thank me. Go home. Take a shower. Come back to work on Monday." She tossed the documents in her purse.

"Will you be there? At the farm?" Piper asked out of curiosity.

"Nope. As it turns out I got a worse deal than you. They want me to disappear from the face of the earth for good." Natalie spared her one last glance before walking away with a scowl, leaving a bewildered Piper behind.

They wouldn't have gotten out so easily if Natalie had really wanted to put up a fight. Piper recalled how she had suggested the poison herself. Thinking back now, it seemed like Natalie was giving her straws to grab. She was prompting them to argue. She wasn't supporting them openly probably because the Director was listening to the conversation. But she was on their side all along.

Piper didn't get up for a long while. She sat there and stared out of the window. Back when she was in training, they taught her how to empty her mind. Some kind of meditation that helped them focus on what needed to be done. Piper utilised it without giving much thought. She blanked her mind not really thinking anything with no sense of time. Or sorrow. Just this darkness surrounding her senses. She sat there until the sun went down and the day turned into night.

When the cafe owner politely asked her to leave, she left without protest. She couldn't walk down the street with a blank head. She was forced to watch strangers go on with their life as if everything was okay. As if the love of their life hadn't been taken away from them. The strangers on the street were happy. Laughing. Kissing. Talking. Giggling. Piper walked faster. She couldn't tolerate it.

It was the kind of night that she and Alex would have enjoyed. The wind that was cold enough to put on fluffy jackets. On nights like this, Piper used to drag Alex out for walks after debating whether they should go out or read books inside. Alex would always gave in to whatever Piper wanted. Tonight Piper hugged herself and willed not to cry on the street like a fucking lunatic.

Around midnight, she found herself unlocking the door of her brownstone house in Brooklyn. Piper got inside the warmth of her so called home and slid down the door, crying silently into the night. _This is the last time_, she promised herself, _this is the last time. _

—

A/N:

Will I write more Vauseman after this ends?

I don't know, man. I don't know. At this point in my life don't know if I'll write anything after finishing this. So we will see how that goes.

Again, thanks for the amazing reviews. You guys are awesome.


	31. Every Little Thing

_**Week 1**_

After seeing her mother Alex was transferred to Litchfield minimum. They didn't toss her into the general population for two days. They kept her in the medical bay due to her shoulder. Alex couldn't figure out whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. She took her pain meds and stayed in bed most of the time. It looked like a clinic if she ignored the COs stationed outside and of course, the handcuffs.

But she couldn't ignore the handcuffs. Or the officers. Their snickers and glares. It was worse that she was the only patient in med bay. It felt like Middle School all over again. Like everyone was laughing at a joke she wasn't in on. Then came the inmate with the food trolley.

She was this tiny little human wearing khaki scrubs and a grey sweatshirt. And lipstick. Dark red lipstick. She beamed excitedly and handed Alex her tray.

"Hi," the inmate said. "I'm Lorna. Lorna Morello. Welcome to Litchfield. I have heard a lot of things about you. All good things. You are kind of a legend around here, you know."

Alex didn't know how to reply to that. The previous inmates had never really tried to talk to her. She was glad for the conversation but it felt odd nonetheless.

"Is it true that you have a cop girlfriend?" Lorna said in an inaudible whisper.

"How do you know that?" Alex asked.

"Oh, dear, everyone knows that around here." Lorna said with a grin.

"Morello, leave her alone." Officer McCollough warned in a soft one. She was one of the good ones.

"Just saying hi." Lorna turned away to get her cart. Then she stopped to say, "By the way, Nicky says hi."

"Nicky?"

"Yes, Nicky Nichols. She told everyone that she is your friend. That's how we know all about you."

"She is. She is my friend." Alex said earnestly. "Can I see her? I mean, can she come here?"

"Oh, she really wanted to." Lorna said with a frown. "But you know how things are here. I have to go now. Get well soon. "

"Morello! Do you want a shot?" McCollough warmed for the second time.

"Just talking. Just talking." Lorna said sweetly.

"You can talk all you want. Vause is going to Gen Pop tomorrow."

"That's so good. We can't wait to see you there. Bye, sweetie."

She left after that. Alex felt something good in her. Something like hope. Maybe it wasn't always going to be dark and gloomy like this. Maybe Nicky will make it bearable for her. Maybe she will survive.

She wanted to call Piper. If she could only pick up a phone and call Piper and tell her that she had found Nicky in here. She could tell her about the garbage food and the creepy COs. The weird smells and strange inmates. The redicoulesly stupid counsler. And the real reason why Nicky was here. They would have a good laugh about it too. But she couldn't. She couldn't contact Piper. Apparently calling someone or mailing was considered a privilege now. A privilege she would have to earn.

The reality of her situation was sinking in slowly. She was anxious all of a sudden. Maybe she wasn't ready for it yet. Maybe they should keep her in Med Bay for a couple more weeks. What would she do in a prison? She was not a cold hearted criminal. She was smarter than most of them and she had had a good life since she was a teenager. Sure, she was surrounded by criminals most of her life but prison works in a different way than a drug cartel.

Giving it deep though, she came up with a strategy that was pretty basic. _Just lay low for two years. Just lay low. _She knew for sure that Piper would appreciate that.

—

_**Week 1**_

The day after Alex was gone, Piper didn't get out of bed. She didn't eat. Or cry. Or shower. Or slept for that matter. She just laid there empty like a shell. It was better to feel nothing than to feel pain. It felt like a bad break up. Piper chuckled at that thought. She remembered that Alex had told her that they were over in this very place. The same words were going over and over and over in her head now.

"_When this is over, I don't have any idea how it will be, but when it is over, I am done. I am done with your lies. I am done with your deception. I am done with you-"_

Relationship wise, they were in a better place now. A much better place. But she couldn't contact Alex. Couldn't call her. Couldn't see her. Couldn't kiss her. Couldn't keep her safe.

A prison is an unpredictable place, Piper knew that much. Anything can happen. You step on someone's toe and they could make your life a living hell. And life - what life is there exactly. Four walls capturing someone not only physically but mentally as well.

The strange thing that made Piper get out of bed was that _there was no sign_. There was no sign of Alex ever being in her life. Although it felt like a big chunk of her life was missing, there was no photographs of her with Alex. No extra toothbrush in her bathroom or extra clothes in her cupboard. No proofs of her existence. Nothing in her bedroom that reminded her of Alex.

She went to the guest room. The housekeeper had changed the sheets. It just smelled like detergent and softener. She went to the kitchen found it squeaky clean as well. _Goddamn it. _She regretted having a housekeeper for the first time. All that was left was the study and her memories of Alex walking in with so much wonder in her eyes. She savoured those moments.

On Monday, she wore her old suit and trouser, tucked her gun in and went to work like old times. Maybe a new mission was what she needed. Some work to get her mind off of Alex even though she knew it was nearly impossible.

Going back into office was strange. Not everyone knew the full story or the true story of what had happened. They knew bits and pieces. But that was enough to warrant curious glances her way as she walked down to her office. Nobody asked anything which was good but Piper could still feel their eyes on her back.

In the conference room, her team was already waiting. Carlin was on the phone with someone. Bennet and Washington engrossed in their computers. They didn't notice Piper getting in. She cleared her throat and tried to smile a bit. She was unsure how her team was going to respond to everything.

"Chapman!" Poussey jumped up excitedly. "You're back." She rushed to give Piper a hug. Piper accepted it gladly.

"We didn't think you'd come back here." Agent Benett said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too." Piper was astounded with the warm welcome.

"We thought they would disintegrate us and send us to some ditch like they did with Joe." Carlin sat up on the desk with legs dangling beneath.

"It's a good thing you are back." Washington patted her shoulder.

Piper smiled and looked around the office. She was curious for what was to happen next.

"So, where's the new boss?" She asked glancing around the three of them.

They looked at each other one by one like Piper had made a joke. Poussey turned to Piper with a barely restrained smile.

"Chapman," She said. "You're the new boss."

—

_**Week 2**_

She could handle it. She knew she could. She had it under control. She knew how to live an unprivileged life. She had someone on the outside whom she loved. She had a friend on the inside. Had a story that made her almost untouchable, although she would have preferred to be invisible. But she was positive.

Yet it didn't stop the anxiety that crept in every time she stepped into a room. The orange scrubs didn't help either. It made her stand out in a sea of khakis. The first time she met the general population of the prison at dinnertime in the cafeteria, every head turned. The inmates. The guards. Everyone watched her like a hawk. Like she would do something crazy and they would miss it if they blinked. She rolled her eyes.

But then a bundle of curly blonde hair embraced her out of nowhere. She stumbled. Unsure on what to do. Then she heard that delirious laughter that only Nicky could produce.

"You are real-" Nicky chuckled. "I thought Lorna made you up after all the stories. Can't say good to see you here, eh?"

Alex laughed. She wanted to say it was good to see Nicky here. Nicky dragged her to her table after that. She introduced everyone like they were having brunch on a Sunday, except the food was shit and the people funnier. Nicky made it easier. A hundred times easier. She made her ignore the stares and the comments that people spat her way.

The funny thing was that they didn't even research properly. Some of the inmates (most of them) thought that she was the one behind the attack. The meth heads definitely thought she was the mastermind of the attack and that she was there to plan her next move. Alex didn't even correct their sheer stupidity.

Alex figured prison was like high school in more than one ways. The food was shitty. The bathrooms. The four walls that made you feel more depressed than you already were. The popular and the crazies. And the bullies. Oh, the bullies.

They painted her cubicle wall in what seemed like blood, spelling the words -

_Child kiler Vase _

Alex laughed it off. It was hard to feel threatened by someone who couldn't spell her name right. Apparently CO McCollough had seen her meth head bunkmate fiddling with her stuff. She came forward and offered help which Alex gladly accepted. The day went down with her bunkmate wiping down her work of art on the CO's orders which Alex enjoyed more than she should have.

The next days she went about asking about privileges. There was a lot to learn about the prison system. Good thing, she was a fast learner. She asked about when she will have visitors or when she will get to make a call or how to put money in her commissary account which was already full. It was strange that she wasn't given the facilities yet. A talk with her prison counselor revealed that her case was an exception that there was some glitch in the system that prohibited her from those things. Alex knew exactly what it fucking was. She put Piper's name on the visitation list anyway.

She went back to her cubicle to lay down. And perhaps cry a little bit. Maybe she should have taken the runaway option.

The doubts in her head were creeping back up. Maybe two years was a long time. Maybe Piper wasn't going to stay around for that long. Maybe she needed to break it off before Piper -

"Yo, Vause," Nicky said, dangling from the edge of her cubicle entrance. "Heard that your girlfriend caused a scene in visitation 'cause they wouldn't let her visit ya. Guess all that sexual frustration is blowing up, huh…"

"Get the fuck out of here, Nicky-" Alex groaned. Nicky has been trying to tell her about all the great prison pussy she had been missing out on.

"Okay. Okay. Get that you're all committed and shit. Just telling ya how it is, eh."

Knowing that Piper was here made her heart lighter yet heavier at the same time. She was what, three or four walls away. They were so fucking close while she wallowing in her misery. Piper had come all this way for her. Yet they didn't see each other. The universe must be having a good fucking laugh about it.

Sleep came easily after she doubled her dose of pain meds.

—

_**Week 3**_

On the eighteenth night after their separation, Piper didn't drown her misery in alcohol. She didn't sleep on the sofa with her limbs dangling. She went to bed sober even though it hurt to sleep alone in that big house. She turned the lights off and closed her eyes.

Her mind went over every possible way someone could harm Alex, something could happen to Alex or something Alex could do to herself. Her mind had an exceptionally detailed way of planning for the worse. Like it always did when it came to Alex being away from her. That was the reason of her refuge in excessively expensive wine.

Eighteen days she hadn't talked to Alex. Or seen her. Or heard her. Or touched her. Or told her that she loved her. Or kissed her with every fiber in her body.

Tonight she's going to bed sober. Because tomorrow is the day she will get to see Alex. She had taken the day off from work to drive to Litchfield as early as possible and see Alex. She was so excited that her stomach felt weird. She hasn't eaten anything either. She has so much to tell and so much to hear. She couldn't contain the anxiety. Or the overwhelming giddiness that she felt. She has meticulously planned the hello and shunned away any thoughts about the goodbye.

She wore Alex's favourite royal blue sweater and dark skinny jeans. Alex had once told her that they compliment her eyes. They had had sex at the back of a roman theatre after that. Piper blushed into the mirror. The thought alone made her sensitive at her core. She kept her hair casual and washed away signs of distress. She was not gonna be a mess this time around.

The drive was peaceful, scenic and long in Piper's honest opinion. She wished she could teleport just for the sake of arriving there faster.

Litchfield stood in the midst of all the greenery like a sore thumb. A sole reminder that nothing good happens in there. The barbed wires and scaling paint. And that smell. God, that horrible smell. Piper took a few disgusted deep breaths before getting out of her car and walking to the reception area.

The walls inside were designed to drain all hopes and dreams of the person entering. Piper felt the dread instantly. She ignored the scowling COs and walked straight to the officer at the desk. She told them who she was here to visit.

The officer frowned and told her that Alex wasn't privileged to have visitors yet.

Piper raged. _What fucking nonsense was this? _She didn't come all this way for nothing. Alex had the right to have visitors. She ought to. Piper had waited two awful weeks to come here. To make sure she wasn't hopping any boundaries.

Piper took out her fake FBI badge and lectured the whole desk on human rights for a good five minutes.

But the officer raised her hands above her head saying she didn't have anything to do with it. She was just following the orders. There must have been some kind of glitch in the system.

Piper punched the table. Let out a frustrated sigh and apologised for her behaviour. The little commotion had brought a small audience and some COs to the scene. She picked up a blank white sheet and a pen from the table.

"Can I mail her?" She asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yes," the officer replied. "I'm afraid it'll take four or five days to rea-"

"That's just ridiculous." Piper shouted losing her temper again. "I'm handing it to you here, why can't you just give it to her!"

"Ms. Chapman," another young officer who had come to the scene upon Piper's shouting came forward politely. "I can pass it to her. As quickly as it can be. You don't need to worry about that."

"McCollough-" the Officer at the desk glared at her.

"It's okay O'Neill." McCollough said kindly. "She is with the FBI. It must be important. We don't want to get in the way of law, now do we?"

O'Neill agreed reluctantly. Piper shared an understanding look with McCollough and sat down in the waiting area to write her heart out in a piece of paper.

—

_**Week 3**_

She got her first mail at the end of the third week. It had two books and an envelope addressed to her name. Alex immediately knew who it was from. She held the books close to her nose to see if it smells like Piper. She couldn't stop the stupid smile that spread across her face. She placed the books on the side table and sat on the bed cross legged to read the letter.

_Dear Alex,_

_I guess it goes without saying that I miss you. I miss you so much. I miss you so much that I am willing to run through these doors between you in me without a worry in the world. Sadly, the doors are locked and I am not the hulk. I kept my stupid temper in control like you always wanted me to. _

_I'm writing this from the visitor's waiting room. Do you feel how close I am? I feel it. I feel you. They won't let me get in. They are saying it's some kind of fault in the system. But I am gonna fight this. I'm gonna fight them. In the meantime, I want you to know that I love you. Never forget that. Never doubt that. _

_How are you sleeping? How's your arm? How are they treating you in there? And how is Nicky? _

_I'm sorry if this letter seems all over the place. I'm attaching this to the books I wanted to give you. I hope to see you soon. _

_Be safe and take care of yourself. _

_Love Always,_

_Piper_

Alex folded the page and held it over her heart. She traced the faint lipstick mark on the back of the page with her fingertips. She grinned like an idiot at the antics of her dorky idiot of a girlfriend.

—

_**Week 4**_

It turned out that it really was the shitty prison corporation that hadn't updated Alex's status. Piper took the fight to PolyCon headquarters and threatened them with a lawsuit. They succumbed obviously but they explained that it will still take a few weeks because they were going under some renovations.

Piper was furious at the situation. She threw herself at work like a madwoman. Following trails of Figueroa's evil enterprise.

A couple of days later, she got an envelope in the mail and she felt like she could breathe again.

_Dear Pipes,_

_I am proud of you for not Hulk smashing your way in here. I'm so fucking sorry that you had to come all this way for nothing. They told me about the faulty system too. I just hope they are not trying to fuck us up. They should know better than that. _

_Pipes, some nights - who am I kidding - every fucking night it feels like my skin is screaming because it misses you so much. The pain becomes unbearable sometimes. The inmates are still kinda afraid of me. So far it's been a good thing. They don't bother me that much. Still, prison sucks. _

_Did you know why Nicky came to this ditch so willingly? She's fucking bonkers. Do you remember the girl she was talking about back at her place? The love of her life - Lorna Morello. Well, that girl is here in Litchfield. I am pretty sure that's why Nicky came here. _

_How are they treating you at work, kid? Are you back to kicking asses? And how are you sleeping? I want to know everything. Thanks for the books. _

_Counting the days till we meet again. _

_Love,_

_Alex. _

—

_**Week 6**_

It started with Nicky acting weird. Agitated. Itchy. Alex had been in the library for some hours when Nicky barged in as if looking for something. She caught her eyes and gave a small nod. Alex invited her to sit down on the floor beside her. She was intrigued by Nicky's strange behaviour for the past few days. Surely, it had something to do with Lorna's recent and very surprising marriage.

"Hey," Alex said as Nicky sat down and folded her legs beneath her. "Looking for Morello, I assume."

"You assume wrong kid." Nicky smirked looking down at her lap.

"What? Is she not fuckable anymore?" Alex said in a hushed voice. "You fucked up rule number one - never fall in love with a straight girl."

Nicky chuckled and scratched the back of her wrist.

"She is married." Nicky said gloomily. "I don't fuck married woman."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," Nicky rolled her eyes. "I don't fuck woman who are happily married. I fuck when they are unhappy. Cause then I am doing them a favour and favours are nice!"

"And Morello is happily married?" When Nicky didn't reply, she continued, "That is tragic-"

"Not as tragic as your face."

"What's wrong with my face?" Alex laughed.

"Your thirst for Chapman is written all over it."

"You-"

Before Alex could retort, Nicky was already on her feet and jogging out of the door. Alex saw Luschek following after her.

—

_**Week 9**_

It was the end of the second month when Piper was back in the visitation room. After a dozen of letters and books, she was finally here. She bounced her leg and nervously looked around the room. Families and couples and friends sharing stories, some crying, some smiling. Piper wondered whether they will also seen like just another couple. She patiently stared at the door from where the other inmates had emerged.

When Alex entered, Piper stood up immediately. She was not sure how her face looked - crumpled or relieved. She just wanted Alex to find her. And she did. Alex took several long strides and she was in her arms in seconds. Holding her so tight that she couldn't breath. And maybe in that moment Piper didn't want to breath. Didn't want to let go. Didn't want time to go on. Someone barked something and she felt Alex loosening her grip. She grabbed the fabric of Alex's prison uniform in her fist.

"Let's sit down kid." Alex tenderly pushed her away.

_Oh, it's the angry looking CO. _

Once they were on their seats, they just stared at each other. Neither said a word. Turned out the more she had to say the harder it was to speak. Piper was worried so much that she wants to cry. She didn't cry. Alex was still holding her hand across the table, rubbing slow circles with her thumb. Their feet touching lightly under it.

There was nothing glamorous about Alex in a prison uniform. Nothing fancy. Except Piper wanted to touch the rose tattoo that's peeking through the rolled up white undershirt. She looked older. Piper could see that her hair has grown a couple of inches. The green in her eyes, paler.

Alex had this longing look in her eyes. This strange dryness in her throat when she tried to talk. She cleared her throat. Licked her lips. Blinked and looked away. Piper realised that Alex was struggling to hold back tears as well. She wasn't sure what she will do if Alex broke down.

"Hey," Piper said softly. "We don't have to talk, you know."

Alex smiled. "This is so fucking weird."

Piper agreed. They didn't really talk after that. They just sat there stealing shy glances and suggestive smirks. At one point Piper was lifting Alex's pants with the tip of her heels under the table and Alex was tracing her fingers. Piper bit her lower lip. They giggled at their own shenanigans. It was so juvenile and silly that Piper couldn't hold back her laughter that reverberated throughout the room.

When time was up, they were back to the longing looks and gloomy sighs. They ended it with a tight hug. Alex kissed her deeply, not caring what anyone else thought. Piper was into it. Giving every bit of control to Alex. She moaned when Alex pressed her favourite spot on her torso. But like every good thing in their life, it ended. They were both panting and teary-eyed. They exchanged hurried I-love-yous as a CO threatened to break away. Alex was the last one to leave when visitation time ended.

Later, Piper stayed in her car for an hour outside Litchfield penitentiary. She didn't think she could drive while her tears seemed to have a brain of their own. _This is the last time, _she thought. _This is the last time. _

On the other side of the wall, Alex seemed to have a similar problem. She tried to control the trembling lips and shameless sobs but failed miserably. An hour later, she found herself in a secluded corner of the library. Her knees drawn close to her chest and head down as tears washed down her black eyeliner. _Is it always going to be this fucking hard? _

—

_**Week 11**_

The second time - they talked. They really talked. Piper pretended to be happier. Alex too. They smiled more. They genuinely laughed at each other's stories. It felt like they were coming to terms with their tragic lives.

Piper told her more about her new job as interim agent in charge. Alex told her about the shitty prison food, crazy meth-heads and Nicky's strange behaviour. Piper told her about Cal's fascination with her.

"He thinks you are my hot-ex-drug-dealer girlfriend." Piper said.

"Am I not though?" Alex smirked raising a single immaculate eyebrow although her inside were gushing at the fact that Piper told her brother about her.

Piper felt a hotness rushing to her lower abdomen.

CO Bell announced ungraciously that the visiting time was over.

At the end, Piper was still in her car, unable to drive, unable to stops her tears.

And Alex was back at that corner in the library. She wished she could touch Piper. Wished Piper could touch her. She was happy for Piper. She really was. But she was scared too. So fucking scared that Piper will move on one day. One of these days, she will stop coming. She will find someone else who could touch her. Who could give her everything that Alex couldn't. Alex couldn't dismiss the stupid insecurities that crept through her, rattling her fucking brain.

—

_**Week 13**_

The nightmares had begun after they stopped her pain meds. She hadn't been expecting those horrible glimpses of blood and gunshots and the fuckload of shit they went through. It played in her head in loops that she couldn't get out of. Vivid and surreal. Sometimes it was Larry. Screaming for his life as a bullet ripped through his skull. Then it was Fahri choking to death. Aydin was one of the most terrifying ones. She watched herself killing him. Mercilessly. Like the devil himself.

But what made her lose her breath was Piper. The dream would always start the same way. A bright day in Paris. Curtains flowing with the wind. Her and Piper in that quaint hotel room. In their bed. On the couch. Kissing. Sometimes just smiling. Then her face would crumple into a gloomy look and she would utter those words - _Al, I can't go with you. _The words would hit Alex right in her heart. She would pray for the dream to fucking stop but Piper would climb out of the bed and walk backwards to the door with that same longing look on her face.

"_I am so sorry, Al." _Piper would softly say. Then the masked man would come behind her and shoot her in the head from behind. In her dream she would be screaming. Sobbing. Crying out for help.

Then only she would wake up gasping for air. Panting. Pinching herself to make sure she was back in the real world. Her bunkmate would throw something at her face and curse at her for waking her up. Alex would sigh and lay back down with her eyes open. Waiting for the sun to come up.

Then, as if the higher powers had found her weakest spot, only dreams about Piper came at night. Piper leaving her. Piper getting shot. Piper beneath her, dying, just like Aydin.

After two week of barbaric tortures and sleepless nights - Alex gave up. Her sleeplessness was evident in her face. She was certain that Piper noticed it too. She could she the worry pooling in her eyes at visitation. She didn't tell her about it though. It wouldn't do any good anyway. Plus, there were only a few days left before the worst day of her life.

So, she gave up. She wanted the nightmares to stop so badly that she went to Nicky and outright asked where she could get some sleeping pills. Nicky - perhaps witnessing the torture her friend was going through - didn't pry any further. She gave Alex very specific directions for where she could get those. In return, Alex didn't question how she came to know about possible drug dealers in prison.

Alex brought a very shaggy looking bag of pills with the last of her commissary money.

Sleep came easily after that. So did the headaches.

—

_**Week 16**_

Piper brushed her finger over the spines of hardcovers. The smell of books oddly relaxed her nerves. Her eyes roaming the shelves for the titles Alex had given her over the phone. She was on a break from office which didn't happen very often. They kept her busy. She kept herself busy. She glanced at the clock and hoped that the person she was here to meet will be on time and not late like their previous meetings.

Piper was now used to plan her days around Alex. Visiting weekly was an impossible task. Her job was unpredictable most of the time. She was glad for the new job title that granted her most of the office work. It kept her busy and in town. Although she had to attend the boring budget meetings and briefings with the director. There was still some bad blood but her skills preceded their inner feuds.

When she was not at work, she wandered around bookstores and bars. Going back home only when it was absolutely necessary. She always made sure that Alex had enough books to keep her occupied. She was a fast reader. Sometimes Alex would ask for a particular title over phone or in a letter and sometimes Piper would choose one for her.

The visits became harder with time. Or at least Piper thought so. Alex lost some weight. Her eyes sunk by millimetres. And if Alex thought Piper didn't notice, she was wrong. Piper noticed. From her general disinterest in everything relating to prison to her skirting around the questions about her sleep. Alex would ask Piper about her day, about her life and not give much in return. At first Piper chalked it up to the mundanity of prison. Then Alex wouldn't even talk about Nicky. Piper noticed. The deterioration and the deception, she noticed it all.

The bell at the entrance of the bookstore chimed signalling the arrival of someone new. Piper turned around. _Finally, _she thought.

The newcomer woman spotted Piper and walked briskly towards her with a tight smile.

"Good to see you again, Chapman." The woman stretched out a hand once in reach.

"Artesian," Piper shook her hand.

—

A/N:

I will make this quick don't worry. Wish I could tell you what I have planned for the next chapter but that will just ruin it. So have some patience. Just two more chapters. And no there won't be a sequel. Sorry guys, gotta wrap it up here nice and clean.

Have you read _Waves of Nostalgia _by _Liggycow? _It's one of my favourites. I go back to it whenever I crave pain and suffering. Also a happy ending (since it's completed).

Thanks for the amazing reviews. Keep them coming. Happy reading :)


End file.
